#BTColumn – No tolerance for genital mutilation

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author(s) do not represent the official position of Barbados TODAY. 

by Wayne Campbell

“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 (FGM). FGM is mostly carried out on young girls between infancy and age 15, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), and for a variety of cultural and social reasons which vary from region to region. The World Health Organisation (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 legislation 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 health and well-being,” and 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. In others, it is seen as a prerequisite for marriage. In some communities whether Christian, Jewish, Muslim, the practice may even be attributed to religious beliefs. FGM may be considered an important part of a culture or identity.

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. FGM is associated with cultural ideals of femininity and modesty.

The United Nations states 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 and reproductive health, and on mental health.

In 2012, the UN General Assembly designated February 6th 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.

WHO has also pointed to an emerging 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 United Nations 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 COVID-19 pandemic negatively and disproportionately affected girls and women, resulting in a shadow pandemic disrupting SDG target 5.3 on the elimination of all harmful practices including, female genital mutilation.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates an additional two million girls projected to be at risk of undergoing female genital mutilation by 2030. In response to this disruption, the United Nations, through its UNFPA- UNICEF joint programme, has been adapting interventions that ensure the integration of female genital mutilation in humanitarian and post-crisis response.

The United Nations declares that to promote the elimination of female genital mutilation, coordinated and systematic efforts are needed, and they must engage whole communities and focus on human rights, gender equality, sexual education and attention to 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.

In order to eliminate it, it will take a collective effort led by governments to educate the populace about the horrors of this human right 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 Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @ WayneCamo © #SidneyPoitier