The Human Rights Council adopted a resolution calling for “intensifying global efforts and sharing best practices to effectively eradicate female genital mutilation”. E. Leye, K. Roelens, M. Temmerman. Medical aspects of female genital mutilation. International Centre for Reproductive Health, Ghent University. 1998. When the practice first gained international attention, it was commonly referred to as “female circumcision.” (In East and North Africa, this term is often used to describe FGM type I.) However, the term “female circumcision” has been criticized for drawing parallels with male circumcision and creating confusion between the two different practices. Adding to the confusion is the fact that health experts in many countries in eastern and southern Africa are promoting male circumcision to reduce HIV transmission. FGM, on the other hand, can increase the risk of HIV transmission. In addition, the term “female genital mutilation (FGM)” is used in a number of UN and intergovernmental documents. A recent document is the 2016 report of the UN Secretary-General (A/71/209) on intensifying global efforts to eradicate female genital mutilation.
Other documents that use the term “female genital mutilation” include: Report of the Secretary-General on the elimination of female genital mutilation, Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council: Towards the elimination of female genital mutilation, Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples` Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa; Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action; and Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation: An Interagency Statement. And every year on 6. In February, the United Nations celebrates the “International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation”. WHO`s efforts to eradicate female genital mutilation focus on: In 2010, WHO, in collaboration with other major UN agencies and international organizations, published a “Global Strategy to Discourage Health Care Providers from Performing Female Genital Mutilation”. WHO supports countries in implementing this strategy. Female genital mutilation is an extreme form of violence against girls and women. The incision refers to the incisions in the clitoris or the cut of the clitoral foreskin, but it also refers to the incisions in the vaginal wall and incisions in the perineum and symphysis. Deinfibulation refers to the practice of opening a woman who has been infibulated to allow sexual intercourse or facilitate childbirth.
Reinfibulation is the practice of stitching the outer lips after deinfibulation. In many societies, FGM/C is a rite of passage to femininity with strong ancestral and socio-cultural roots. Streamlining the continuation of the process includes the preservation of ethnic and gender identity, femininity, feminine “purity” and family honour; maintain cleanliness and health; and ensuring women`s ability to marry.33 In many contexts, social acceptance is the main reason for continuing this practice. The reasons for female genital mutilation vary from region to region and over time, and include a mix of socio-cultural factors within families and communities. The most frequently cited reasons are: ethnicity is the most important factor in the prevalence of FGM and covers socioeconomic class and education level. Members of certain ethnic groups often adhere to the same social norms, including whether or not they practice FGM, regardless of where they live. The prevalence of FGM among Somalis living in Kenya, for example, at 94 percent, is similar to that of Somalia and well above the Kenyan national average of 21 percent, according to the latest available information. Mr. de Bruyn. Socio-cultural aspects of female circumcision. KIT, 1998.
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a procedure performed on a woman or girl to alter or injure her genitals for non-medical reasons. This is most often the partial or complete removal of their external genitalia. FGM is a violation of the basic human rights of girls and women. FGM is included in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under goal 5.3 “Eliminate all harmful practices such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation”. Female genital mutilation (FGM) is the collective term for a series of cultural practices in which female genitalia are partially or completely circumcised. FGM can be practiced from infancy and the age of thirty. Most often, however, girls undergo FGM between the ages of four and twelve. The origins of FGM remain unclear. Every child has the right to be protected from harm, in all situations and at all times. The movement to end FGM – often locally sourced – is designed to protect girls from deep, permanent and utterly unnecessary harm. Evidence shows that most people in affected countries want to stop circumcising girls and that overall support for FGM is declining, even in countries where the practice is almost universal (such as Egypt and Sudan).
Ending FGM requires intensive and sustained cooperation from all segments of society, including families and communities, religious and other leaders, the media, governments and the international community. Towards zero tolerance for female genital mutilation in Sudan In addition, sexual intercourse due to damage to the female genital organs can lead to tissue damage, significantly increasing the risk of HIV transmission. The same goes for blood loss associated with birth. S. Izett, N. Toubia. Learn about social change. A research and evaluation guide with female circumcision as a case study. Rainbo, 1999. In all societies where it is practised, female genital mutilation is a manifestation of deep-rooted gender inequality. Where it is widespread, FGM is supported by both men and women, usually without question, and anyone who does not adhere to the norm can face condemnation, harassment and ostracism. It can be difficult for families to abandon this practice without the support of the wider community.
In fact, it is often practiced, even though it is known to harm girls because the perceived social benefits of the practice are considered to outweigh its disadvantages. Since 1965, 24 of the 29 countries with the highest prevalence of FGM/C have adopted a human rights-based approach in their FGM/C legislation.56 Sentences range from three months to life imprisonment. Several countries also impose fines. Twelve developed countries with large populations practicing FGM/C have also passed laws criminalizing the practice.57 Some laws prohibit the practice of FGM/C in public health facilities and by doctors. Some criminalize FGM/C only when performed on minors, while others criminalize it in all cases. Fines can only apply to practitioners or anyone who knows it is happening and does not report it. The crime can only be about cuts within the country itself or involve taking a girl to another country to do so.58 A successful rights-based health intervention has been to respect the importance of rites of passage and promote alternatives that do not involve circumcision.80 For example, grassroots activists in Sierra Leone are changing cultural practices, recognizing the meaning of Soweis. women managers who practice FGM/C. The aim is to find alternative sources of income for these women and to reinvent their role as custodians of traditional culture without excision. In Somalia, Save the Children and its partners are supporting local NGOs to change the cultural perception of female circumcision as a central part of girls` rites of passage and to find other ways to increase the status and value of women in the family and community.