Female genital mutilation

Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female genital cutting and female circumcision, is the ritual removal of some or all of the external female genitalia.

History

UNICEF estimated in 2016 that 200 million women had undergone the procedures in 27 countries in Africa, as well as in Indonesia, Iraqi Kurdistan and Yemen, with a rate of 80–98 percent within the 15–49 age group in Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Sudan. The practice is also found elsewhere in Asia, the Middle East, and among communities from these areas around the world. There are many negative health effects.

A new United Nations survey of male attitudes toward “gender equality” finds precious little appetite for it across the Middle East. [...] Egypt scored the lowest on the report’s “Gender Equitable Men” scale and is the source of the most striking headlines. For example, CNS News reports that “70 percent of Egyptian men approve of female genital mutilation.” For that matter, 56 percent of Egyptian women also voiced approval for the hideous procedure, which is illegal but not unheard-of, in much of the world. [...] Promundo CEO Gary Barker told Reuters that “everywhere else we have done these research… young men typically have more progressive views that their fathers and the older generation. That was not so here."

Migration

Mass immigration has caused female genital mutilation to appear also in Western countries. In 2015-2016 there were 5,700 new cases of female genital mutilation recorded in England. In 18 cases the practice had been undertaken in the UK.

Facts about female genital mutilation

FGM involves the partial or complete removal of the female external genitalia and can include other injuries to the female genital organs for nonmedical reasons. It is internationally recognized as a violation of human rights and a form of gender-based violence. In some areas, the practice is also referred to as female circumcision or cutting. The procedure is most often done to girls between birth and age 15. FGM has serious implications for the physical, psychological, and sexual and reproductive health of girls and women. Often carried out under unsanitary conditions without anesthetic, 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. There are no health benefits from the procedure, which is not medically necessary or condoned by the World Health Organization (WHO), most governments, and reputable medical associations. In addition, treating the health complications caused by FGM is a significant burden for economies, health systems, and ultimately the people affected — with an estimated cost to health systems of $1.4 billion per year, according to the WHO.

See also

• Circumcision