The FGM clampdown
Harsher penalties for FGM that could see doctors jailed for up to 20 years were greenlit by the Madbouly Cabinet in its weekly meeting yesterday. Under draft changes to the penal code, people found guilty of practicing FGM would be handed between 7-20 years behind bars with punitive labor, depending on whether the procedure results in acute injuries or death. Facilities where FGM is performed will be shut down and participating staff barred from practicing for up to five years. Those who request an FGM procedure or actively promote it could also face prison sentence. Bloomberg took note of the story.
Changes to the Personal Status Act were also approved by ministers: Cabinet said last week that the long-awaited bill, which has been with the House of Representatives since at least 2017, was still undergoing changes, but yesterday approved it unchanged. The law will make a number of changes to marriage and divorce, inheritance, death, and child custody.
Also signed off on: A EUR 200k grant from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation to improve services at government-run institutes.