Facts, History, FAQs, what you need to know about FGM.

Female Genital Mutilation.

 

What is Female Genital Mutilation?

Female genital mutilation is defined as the removal of part or all of the female genitalia for nonmedical reasons. It is also called female circumcision or cutting. FGM is mostly done on young girls between infancy and 15 years of age, often before puberty commences.

Types of Female Genital Mutilation.

There are four types of Female Genital Mutilation:

• Type 1: Only Prepuce Removal or prepuce removal plus partial or total removal of the clitoris (also known as clitoridectomy).
• Type 2: Removal of the clitoris plus a portion of or all of the labia minora (excision).
• Type 3: Removal of a potion of or all of the labia minora with the labia majora being sewn together, covering the urethra and vagina and leaving small opening for urination and menstruation (infibulation)
• Type 4: All other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes including pricking, piecing, incising, scraping and cauterizing.

 

Global Recognition of Female Genital Mutilation.

Due to the rising cases of FGM and the urgent need to find a solution to eliminate the practice, United Nations General Assembly declared 6TH February as the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation. With FGM being in existence for more than a thousand years, the practice cannot be eliminated within a single day or year, hence the focus of the United Nations and other organizations striving to eradicate it by 2030 in alignment to Sustainable Development Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

 

History and Development of Female Genital Mutilation.

There is no exact established region where FGM’s origin is dated back to, however, scholars have proposed Ancient Egypt and Sudan. Others claim it originated from Ancient Rome, stating that FGM was implemented on the female slaves to prevent pregnancy and sexual relations. Increased prevalence of FGM concocted that FGM spread from “original cores” by merging with pre-existing initiation rituals for men and women.

There are different reasons and purposes for the continuous practice of FGM such as maintenance of virginity for marriage, to protect a girls’ sexual purity and morality and reduce/ increase their sexual pleasure (depending on culture’s belief) or as a sign of submission and obedience in marriage.

In some Kenyan communities, FGM is practiced as a way of solidifying ones cultural identity, an indication of transition to an “adult member of the society” or as a way of reducing premarital sexual intercourse like in Rendille. In other communities, they believe that FGM retains attractiveness of the recipient as the clitoris could potentially grow and “touch the ground”, it improves hygiene and increases probability of conceiving during intercourse.

Advances in medicine have disapproved the beliefs behind FGM in Western Culture, and many other cultures are now denouncing the practice as a result of the women’s rights fronts. However, 29 countries around Africa, parts of Middle East and Southeast Asia (Yemen, Iraq, Indonesia and Malaysia) are still practicing FGM.

United Nations General Assembly banned female genital mutilation in December 2012.

According to a report by End FGM European Network in 2018, FGM was still practiced in 92 countries across all continents, while 51 of them at least had laws that criminalized FGM.

 

Facts and Statistics on Female Genital Mutilation.

At least 200 million women and girls in 31 countries around the world are living with the results of the dangerous practice of female genital mutilation (FGM), according to a report by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund.

The practice is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic causing disruptions in prevention programs, U.N. health officials fear an additional 2 million cases of FGM will surface by 2030 — cases that would have otherwise been averted. And with school closures, girls may become more isolated and vulnerable to FGM in countries where it’s still practiced.

Why are they still practicing FGM?

Most girls and women familiar with FGM say they would like to see it end, but there is social pressure to continue cutting. Mothers, fathers, extended family, and community leaders may force or coerce girls and young women to be cut so that they will be accepted as “clean” and ready for marriage.

Female Genital Mutilation Policies.

According to UNICEF, FGM is condemned by a several international treaties, conventions and national legislation in many countries. Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for health and well-being,” and this statement has been used to argue that FGM violates the right to health and bodily integrity. FGM is considered as a form of violence against women and girls, the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women is also applicable.

FGM is also a torturous activity that is condemned on the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

The traditional practice poses potential harm to children’s health, violating children’s rights in opposition to the declared rights in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. stating that every child has a right.

Is Clinical Female Genital Mutilation procedure better?

It’s better not to be done at all. There’s no medical reason for FGM, and the long-term effects of FGM are just as harmful either way. The “medicalization” of FGM serves to legitimize a violation of human rights and medical ethics, which is why the United Nations, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, and numerous national medical associations have entirely rejected the practice.

Medicalization of the practice is giving rise to an alarming trend: About one in four girls and women who have undergone FGM were cut by health personnel. Medicalization is especially common in Egypt, where nearly 80% of girls who have undergone FGM were cut by medical personnel compared to 17% of women aged 45 to 49.

What are the consequences of FGM?

Often carried out under primitive and unsanitary conditions without anaesthetic, FGM can cause severe pain, bleeding, and swelling that may prevent passing urine or feces. In the long term, it leads to chronic pelvic infections, urinary tract infections, and birth complications for mothers and children. The horror of the event — including being physically restrained against their will — affects many women for years. There are no health benefits from the procedure, which is not medically necessary or condoned by the World Health Organization, most governments, and reputable medical associations.

What is World Vision doing to eradicate Female Genital Mutilation?

How can I help to stop Female Genital Mutilation?