FGM: An absurd practice in the 21st century
It is quite shocking to know that in this 21st century, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is still a common practice.
- More than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM) in 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where FGM is practiced.
- FGM is a violation of the human rights of girls and women.
- Treatment of the health complications of FGM is estimated to cost health systems US$ 1.4 billion per year, a number expected to rise unless urgent action is taken towards its abandonment.
FGM is mostly carried out on young girls between infancy and age 15, has no health benefits, and it harms girls and women in many ways.
It involves removing and damaging healthy and normal female genital tissue, and it interferes with the natural functions of girls’ and women’s bodies. Although all forms of FGM are associated with increased risk of health complications, the risk is greater with more severe forms of FGM.
The immediate complications of FGM can include severe pain, excessive bleeding (haemorrhage), genital tissue swelling, fever, infections e.g., tetanus, urinary problems, wound healing problems.
On the long run, FGM can cause complications such as urinary problems (painful urination, urinary tract infections); vaginal problems (discharge, itching, bacterial vaginosis and other infections); menstrual problems (painful menstruations, difficulty in passing menstrual blood, etc.); scar tissue and keloid; sexual problems (pain during intercourse, decreased satisfaction, etc.); increased risk of childbirth complications (difficult delivery, excessive bleeding, caesarean section, need to resuscitate the baby, etc.) and newborn deaths;
This year, as we observe the 13th anniversary of this international day with the theme ‘Her Voice, Her Future: Investing in Survivor-Led Movements to End Female Genital Mutilation’, Survivors of FGM play a huge role in confronting communities about the serious impacts of FGM and disrupting gender biased social norms that perpetuate this harmful practice.
Amplifying the voices of survivors goes a long way in building collective action, creating safe spaces for open dialogue without any stigma or bias, and strengthening FGM elimination efforts and interventions at global, regional, and country levels.
We at the Initiative for Peace and Comfort are joining the entire world to #SayNoToFGM #ZeroTolerance #EndFGM #HerVoiceHerFuture