Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a severe violation of human rights affecting millions of girls and women around the world. This harmful practice, rooted in deep-seated cultural, social, and gender inequalities, involves procedures that partially or totally remove the external female genitalia or cause other injuries to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. FGM is also referred to as "female circumcision" or "cutting" and is known by various names across different regions, including sunna, gudniin, halalays, tahur, megrez, and khitan.
FGM is typically carried out on young girls between infancy and adolescence, though it can also occur in adulthood. The procedure can take place at different stages of a girl’s or woman’s life—when a baby is just born, during childhood or adolescence, just before marriage, or even during pregnancy. Despite some communities’ beliefs that FGM is beneficial, the practice has no health benefits and can lead to both immediate and long-term physical and mental health problems.
Globally, it is estimated that FGM has affected more than 200 million women and girls alive today. The reasons for practicing FGM vary by region and involve a complex mix of sociocultural factors within families and communities. However, regardless of the motivations, FGM is a form of child abuse and a grave violation of fundamental human rights, including the rights to health, security, and dignity.
Key points to understand about FGM are:
- It is often performed by someone with no medical training, using instruments such as knives, scalpels, scissors, glass, or razor blades.
- Children are rarely given anesthetic or antiseptic treatment and are often forcibly restrained.
Types of Female Genital Mutilation
Female genital mutilation is classified into four major types:
- Type 1: Partial or total removal of the clitoral glans (the visible part of the clitoris) and/or the prepuce (clitoral hood).
- Type 2: Partial or total removal of the clitoral glans and the labia minora (inner folds of the vulva), with or without removal of the labia majora (outer folds of skin).
- Type 3 (Infibulation): Narrowing of the vaginal opening by creating a covering seal. The seal is formed by cutting and repositioning the labia minora or labia majora, sometimes through stitching, with or without removal of the clitoral prepuce and glans.
- Type 4: All other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes, such as pricking, piercing, incising, scraping, and cauterizing.
Recognizing the Signs of FGM
Signs that a girl or woman may have undergone FGM include:
- Difficulty walking, standing, or sitting.
- Spending longer in the bathroom or toilet.
- Appearing unusually quiet, anxious, or depressed.
- Acting differently after an absence from school or college.
- Reluctance to visit the doctor or undergo routine medical examinations.
Effects of Female Genital Mutilation
FGM has no health benefits; it only causes harm. The severity of health complications increases with more extreme forms of FGM.
Immediate Effects:
- Severe pain: Intense pain during and after the procedure.
- Excessive bleeding (hemorrhage): Significant blood loss that can be life-threatening.
- Genital tissue swelling: Swelling and inflammation of the genital area.
- Fever: Often a sign of infection.
- Infections: Such as tetanus, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
- Urinary problems: Difficulty or pain during urination.
- Wound healing problems: Issues with the healing process of the genital tissue.
- Injury to surrounding genital tissue: Damage to adjacent areas.
- Shock: Physical and psychological shock from the trauma.
- Death: In severe cases, blood loss or infections can be fatal.
Long-Term Effects:
- Urinary problems: Chronic pain during urination and frequent urinary tract infections.
- Vaginal problems: Persistent discharge, itching, bacterial infections, and other issues.
- Menstrual problems: Painful menstruation and difficulty in passing menstrual blood.
- Scar tissue and keloids: Formation of excessive scar tissue that can cause complications.
- Sexual problems: Pain during intercourse and decreased sexual satisfaction.
- Increased Childbirth Complications: Difficult deliveries, excessive bleeding, and higher risks for newborns.
- Newborn deaths: Higher mortality rates for babies born to women who have undergone FGM.
- Need for Additional Surgeries: Sometimes additional procedures are required to open the sealed vaginal area for intercourse or childbirth, leading to repeated surgeries.
- Psychological problems: Long-term mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and low self-esteem.
The Global Impact and Those at Risk
Data from 30 countries in western, eastern, and northeastern Africa, as well as some countries in the Middle East and Asia, show that more than 200 million girls and women alive today have been subjected to FGM. Each year, over 3 million girls are estimated to be at risk of undergoing the procedure.
Despite some progress in reducing FGM, the practice remains prevalent in many regions, and in some countries, it is as common today as it was three decades ago.
Why FGM Continues
FGM is carried out for a number of cultural, religious, and social reasons. Some families and communities believe it will benefit the girl, preparing her for marriage or childbirth.
Cultural and Social Factors:
- Gender Inequality: FGM is deeply rooted in gender inequality in every society where it occurs.
- Rite of Passage: In some societies, FGM is seen as a rite of passage into adulthood.
- Control of Sexuality: It is often used to suppress a girl's sexuality or ensure her chastity.
- Marriage Prerequisite: In areas where FGM is prevalent, it may be deemed necessary for marriage or inheritance, making it difficult for parents to abandon the practice without risking their daughters' future prospects.
Social Pressures:
- Social Conformity: The social pressure to conform and the fear of being rejected by the community are strong motivations to continue the practice.
- Raising Girls: FGM is often considered a necessary part of raising a girl, promoting premarital virginity and marital fidelity.
Religious Misconceptions:
- Religious Beliefs: Some people believe FGM has religious support, although no religious scripts prescribe it. Religious leaders have varying positions on FGM, with some advocating for its abandonment.
Medicalized FGM:
- Perceived Safety: Some health-care providers perform FGM due to the belief that it reduces the risk of complications compared to non-medicalized FGM.
- Social Norms: Health-care providers from FGM-practicing communities are subject to the same social pressures.
- Financial Incentives: There may be financial motivations for performing FGM.
