(This article contains content that some readers may feel uncomfortable with.)
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), New York – Too often, the first message a girl receives about her body is that it is imperfect – too fat or too thin, too dark or too freckled. But for some girls, the message is that, to be accepted by the wider community, their bodies must be cut, altered and even reshaped through a practice known as female genital mutilation (FGM).
Female Genital Cutting (FGC), also known as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), is the partial or complete removal of the external female genitalia or any other injury of the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. FGC/M is sometimes called “female circumcision”. FGC/M is not the same as male circumcision.
The four types of FGC, classified by the extent of the practice involved, are:
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Type I – clitoridectomy – involves removal of the prepuce (clitoral hood) and partial/total removal of clitoris.
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Type II – excision – involves complete removal of the clitoris and partial/total removal of labia minora (inner lips of vagina).
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Type III – infibulation – the narrowing of the vaginal orifice with a covering seal, leaving a small opening for the passage of urine and menstrual blood. Later in life, infibulated women may be cut open on the first night of marriage and/or after childbirth.
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Type IV – other harmful practices to female genitalia including piercing, cauterizing, or scraping.
As you can see, this is torturous. An estimated 200 million girls and women alive today have gone through FGC. This is usually done to girls under 18 years of age, but it is also practiced on older women. It is practiced in 31 countries in Africa, Middle East, and Asia. It is most prevalent in Guinea, Egypt, Djibouti, and Mali. With soaring migration levels in the past decade, migrants have carried this practice with them to other countries, including Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Japan, and the United States. Today, the practice is performed by communities all around the world. This practice has NO health benefits and is a violation of girls’ and women’s fundamental human rights.
So why? Why is FGC/M done?
Because FGC is such a taboo subject, it is rarely talked about, and communities continue this practice without question. There is tremendous social pressure within these communities to have young women be cut so that they will be accepted as “clean” and ready for marriage. FGC is associated with cultural ideals of femininity and modesty and is motivated by beliefs about what is considered acceptable sexual behavior for girls, women, and non-binary individuals. FGC is thought to ensure virginity before marriage and fidelity afterward, and to increase male sexual pleasure. Religion is often used as a justification for performing FGC so that it can be perceived as an acceptable social norm, rather than a human rights abuse. However, no religion promotes or condones FGC. In fact, many religious leaders have denounced it.
I attended a webinar a few months ago where Hoda Ali, a human rights activist who had undergone FGM in Somalia at the age of seven, drew on her own experiences and professional skills to campaign to defend the rights of girls and to end FGC/M. She went through lifelong consequences, including losing the ability to have children. She is a strong woman, and I found her story extremely inspiring. I had never heard of FGC before, and I was horrified by its reality. FGC/M is often carried out in unsanitary conditions without anesthetic, and short-term consequences include severe pain, bleeding, and swelling that can prevent passing of urine. Besides birth complications for mothers and children, long-term consequences include chronic pelvic infections, urinary tract infections, prolonged and painful menstrual periods, and depression and anxiety. There can be severe psychological effects of this practice.
This is an extreme form of discrimination against women. FGC roots from, and perpetuates, gender inequality. Hence, the role of men is crucial in the abandonment of Female Genital Cutting/Mutilation! Men and boys must also unite against FGC.
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The awareness and urgency needed to put an end to FGC around the world is gravely lacking. International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, a United Nations-sponsored annual awareness day, takes place on February 6th. This was a few weeks ago, yet not many people knew about it. It is about time we spread awareness and stand up to FGC. We, as individuals, can help tackle the pervasive gender discrimination and traditional roots behind FGC/M by speaking out about the risks and realities of FGC/M and spreading education about body autonomy and the rights of girls and women. #EndFGC