The Generalities of Female Genital Mutilation

Today, women are more aware of their crucial role in society; with intentional awareness about gender-related issues, actions are taken to combat them. Despite individual and collective efforts, drastic and ancient practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM) continue to occur and put at risk the lives of at least 200 million girls and young women in some 30 countries around the world ⁽¹⁾.

Although FGM constitutes a violation of fundamental human rights and an example of child abuse, the United Nations Organization (UN) has reported that around 1 in 20 girls and women has experienced this inhumane act worldwide ⁽²⁾.

What is FGM?

FGM refers to the injuring or removal of part or all of the external female genitalia for non-medical purposes. Women who had the procedure may face short-term complications and, or permanent risks such as:

• Severe pain.
• Shock.
• Bleeding.
• Infections and urinary problems.
• Psychological.
• Sexual or fertility-reproductive difficulties for the rest of their lives [UN]. 

In addition, it’s indicated that FGM can increase the risk of HIV transmission as this practice usually occurs without any type of sterilization and is frequently carried out by non-health professionals.

Despite being a harmful process that does not offer any hygienic benefits, FGM is often a cultural practice that is not perceived as bad. On the contrary, it can be considered necessary, healthy, clean, positive, or even valuable by the communities where it develops ⁽³⁾.

Where does this practice occur?

Historically, FGM has been associated with regions of Africa and the Middle East and much concentrated in 30 countries in this area; although this is likely due to different migrations, making it spread across the world. This practice also occurs in Asia, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, North America, and Western Europe, to prove that it is a universal concern.

Another factor related to geography is the perception of FGM in society; FGM is still considered a taboo in most of the communities where it happens. However, in some more developed countries like the UK or the US, the act is performed despite the legal consequences for the girl's parents and the health personnel who execute it [BBC].

In countries such as Mali, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Somalia, and Egypt, more than 50% of women show their support for the prevalence of FGM. However, most women in the rest of the world consider it a harmful activity that must end. For example, UNICEF data showed that in much of Africa and the Middle East, more than 70% of the female population has a negative perception of this procedure [DataUNICEF].

 

 

What are the types of FGM?

The World Health Organization has classified FGM into four broad categories that vary in severity:

Type 1: This is the total or partial removal of the clitoris and the skin surrounding it. It is also known as a clitoridectomy.

Type 2: The partial or total removal of the clitoris and the labia minora; it can also include the removal of the labia majora or the internal folds of the skin that surrounds the vagina. It is known as excision.

 

Type 3: known as infibulation, it generally includes the narrowing of the vaginal opening, creating a kind of seal, where the labia majora and minora are cut. In this type of mutilation, the cut edges of the labia are stitched together, leaving the woman with a very small opening for the passage of menstrual flow. In addition, the hole can become so tiny that it needs to be broken for intercourse or childbirth, often leading to complications that can harm both the mother and baby.

Type 4: This includes different, more or less known procedures such as piercing, punctures, incisions, scraping, or cauterization of the clitoris or the genital area.

What are the Reasons for practicing FGM?

There are several reasons for practicing FGM. As stated above, none of the reasons are for health benefits. It is crucial to note that such a practice may be gender-related because it often takes place in areas where violence against women and girls is deeply entrenched and accepted. On the other hand, in some cultures, it is considered a ritual to transition to adult-hood, as a way to preserve virginity since it supposedly controls the sexuality of women, or as a requirement to marry.  Others argue that it happens due to social acceptance, for supposed hygienic benefits or because it increases male pleasure during sexual intercourse [BBC & UNISEF].

Is FGM or FGC the correct terminology?

Recently, different groups have promoted the term “female genital cutting” (FGC) instead of FGM. They alleged that the latter has negative connotations that eventually lead outside observers to have cultural misunderstandings of the groups where it is practiced ⁽⁴⁾. The use of this term, like any other used in gender issues today, can be challenging. For example, these communities claim that, despite its obvious negative effects, FGM is not practiced with harmful intent. On the contrary, these groups highlight that it is carried out in the “best” interest of girls [BBC]. It should be noted that supporters of the use of “cutting” as an alternative to “mutilation” do not intend to diminish or excuse FGC/FGC. Instead, they seek to raise awareness of its context by trying to implement a less critical or judgmental term to refer to it.

While this may seem like a small detail now; however, it could bring up more attention in the future.

The Solution to this Challenge

While FGM has been going on since ancient times, still, it is believed that with coordinated efforts around the world, this practice can be stopped within a single generation. Consequently, the UN has established a goal to end this practice by the year 2030, and as a remark, it has created the Zero Tolerance Day of FGM- which is celebrated every February 6 since 2012.

 

Following this, the elimination of FGM requires the commitment of the every community, working to protect human rights, combating gender inequality, promoting sex education, and providing medical and psychological care to affected women and girls who have been through the procedure. In this sense, UNICEF leads the largest program to promote the elimination of FGM, which focuses on 17 countries in Africa and the Middle East, including other regions of the world.

Consequently, these actions have made remarkable progress in recent years. For example, the UN has reported that more than 360,000 girls were prevented from undergoing female genital mutilation in the last three decades.

 

In Conclusion

From observations, FGM is a procedure that does not offer any medical benefits and is still deeply rooted culturally in the communities where it is practiced. Furthermore, it is accurate to say that FGM could be related to gender issues that may be covering up dark actions such as the acceptance of violence against women and child. Global efforts are more than mandatory to prevent more women and girls from suffering from this drastic practice.

 

Written by: Jose Moises Sanchez Amaya