Female genital mutilation: A scourge among African girls
“Because women and girls are not valued equally as human beings, they are treated as less than such. Female genital mutilation is one example of this that has to be stopped.”— Waris Dirie
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a practice that involves altering or injuring the female genitalia for non-medical reasons, and it is internationally recognised as a human rights violation. At least 200 million girls and women across the world today have undergone female genital mutilation.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), FGM is mostly carried out on young girls between infancy and age 15 for a variety of cultural and social reasons, which vary from region to region. The WHO classified FGM into four broad categories in 1995 and again in 2007:
Type I: partial or total removal of the clitoris and/or the prepuce
Type II: partial or total removal of the clitoris and labia minora, with or without excision of the labia majora
Type III: narrowing of the vaginal orifice by cutting and bringing together the labia minora and/or the labia majora to create a type of seal, with or without excision of the clitoris. In most instances the cut edges of the labia are stitched together, which is referred to as infibulation.
Type IV: all other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes, for example, pricking, piercing, incising, scraping, and cauterisation.
FGM is condemned by a number of international treaties and conventions, as well as by national legislations 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 the health and well-being of himself and his family…” This statement has been used to argue that FGM violates the right to health and bodily integrity.
The Perpetuation of Torture
In every society where it is practised, FGM is a manifestation of deeply entrenched gender inequality. It persists for many reasons. In some societies, for example, it is considered a rite of passage, while in others it is seen as a prerequisite for marriage. In some communities, whether Christian, Jewish, or Muslim, the practice may even be attributed to religious beliefs.
FGM may be considered an important part of a culture or identity, and it can be difficult for families to decide against having their daughters subjected to this harmful practice. People who reject the practice may face condemnation or ostracism and their daughters are often considered ineligible for marriage. As a result, even parents who do not want their daughters to undergo FGM may feel compelled to participate in the practice.
It is also associated with cultural ideals of femininity and modesty.
The UN states that girls who undergo FGM experience short-term complications, such as severe pain, shock, excessive bleeding, infections, and difficulty in passing urine. There are also long-term impacts on their sexual, reproductive, and mental health.
In 2012, the UN General Assembly designated February 6 as the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, with the aim to amplify and direct the efforts on the elimination of this practice.
FGM is a global problem, according to the UN. Female genital mutilation is primarily concentrated in 30 countries in Africa and the Middle East, it is also practised in some countries in Asia and Latin America, and by immigrant populations in Western Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand. Disturbingly, in some countries it is still almost universal.
UNICEF reports that roughly 90 per cent of girls in Djibouti, Guinea, Mali, and Somalia are affected. The WHO has also pointed to an emerging and alarming trend. It is estimated that one in four girls who have been subjected to FGM, or 52 million worldwide, were cut by health personnel, which is known as medicalisation.
The following countries have been identified by the UN as practising female genital mutilation: Togo, Ghana, Iraq, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Benin, Cameroon, Uganda, Niger, Eritrea, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Yemen, Central African Republic, Nigeria, Maldives, Liberia, Chad, Sudan, Djibouti, Mauritania, Gambia, Egypt, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Somalia, Mali, and Tanzania.
A Collective Response Is Needed
In 2021 the novel coronavirus pandemic negatively and disproportionately affected girls and women, resulting in a shadow pandemic disrupting UN Sustainable Development Goal 5.3, which speaks to the elimination of all harmful practices, including FGM.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that an additional two million girls are at risk of undergoing female genital mutilation by 2030. In response to this disruption, the UN, through its UNFPA-UNICEF joint programme, has been adapting interventions that ensure the integration of female genital mutilation in humanitarian and post-crisis responses.
The UN has declared that, to promote the elimination of FGM, coordinated and systematic efforts are needed, and they must engage whole communities and focus on human rights, gender equality, sexual education, and the needs of women and girls who suffer from its consequences.
Fortunately, with the support of UNFPA and other UN agencies, many countries have passed legislation banning FGM, including Egypt, Nigeria, Sudan, and The Gambia and have developed national policies to achieve its abandonment. To eliminate it will take a collective effort led by governments to educate the populace about the horrors of this human rights abuse.
The time to end female genital mutilation is now.
In the words of Nankali Maksud, UNICEF senior advisor, prevention of harmful practices: “We are losing ground in the fight to end female genital mutilation, with dire consequences for millions of girls where the practice is most prevalent.”
Wayne Cam pbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or waykam@yahoo.com