LONDON 23 Nov (ANA) - The UK is to give £ 50m ($ 64m) in aid money to help stop female genital mutilation (FGM) in Africa.

 

The government says this is the biggest single investment to date in the world to help end FGM by 2030.

 

The practice involves removing all or part of a girl or woman's external genitalia, including the clitoris, with some treating it as a rite of passage.

 

ActionAid welcomed the funding but said focusing on FGM alone "was not enough" to eradicate violence against women.

 

Announcing the aid money, International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said FGM could not be eliminated in the UK "without ending it globally".

 

Quote Message: Inspirational, courageous African women are leading efforts to end the practice in their own countries, and thanks to them, more communities are starting to abandon the practice.(ANA)

FA/ANA/23 November 2018-------