February 6 marks the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, a United Nations day designated to amplify and direct efforts on the elimination of the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM). FGM refers to all procedures that involve altering or injuring the female genitalia for non-medical reasons. However, FGM stands for more than a medical procedure that inflicts temporary pain and suffering. FGM is a severe violation of human rights of women and girls. FGM is a human rights violation that results in physical and psychological consequences that women and girls have to deal with for the rest of their lives.
A girl listens-in on a meeting of an anti-female genital mutilation (FGM) women’s group, on January … [+]
Around 1 in 4 girls and women, or 52 million worldwide, experienced FGM, performed by health personnel pointing to an alarming trend in the medicalization of FGM. In 2023 alone, there are 4.32 million girls around the world who are at risk of undergoing FGM. Although primarily concentrated in 30 countries in Africa and the Middle East, FGM is a universal problem and is also practised in some countries in Asia and Latin America. Female genital mutilation continues to persist among immigrant populations living in Western Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand.
Recent years have seen some positive developments. Among others, as reported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), “as a result of community-led engagement through education, dialogue and consensus-building, more than 45 million individuals in 34,659 communities have made public declarations on the abandonment of [FGM]. In addition, 532,158 girls were prevented from undergoing the practice thanks to established community-based surveillance mechanisms.” However, COVID-19 is said to have far-reaching impacts on the effort to end FGM. UNFPA anticipates a 1/3 reduction in the progress towards ending FGM by 2030. COVID-19-related disruptions in prevention programs are to result in 2 million FGM cases over the next decade that would otherwise have been averted.
More needs to be done to prevent FGM and address COVID-19-related disruptions. This is as girls who undergo FGM face life-long consequences that could have been prevented. Among short-term complications are severe pain, shock, excessive bleeding, infections, and difficulty in passing urine. Among long-term effects are consequences for their sexual and reproductive health and mental health.
In 2023, UNFPA and UNICEF Joint Program on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation: Delivering the Global Promise launched the “Partnership with Men and Boys to transform Social and gender Norms to End FGM.” UNFPA and UNICEF call on the global community to partner with men and boys and foster their engagement to accelerate the elimination of this harmful practice and uplift the voices of women and girls. The United Nations identified significant opposition rates to FGM among men and boys in countries such as Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, and Sudan. UNFPA and UNICEF are working with organizations around the world to engage and partner with men and boys and for them to take an active role. As they report, “these initiatives have resulted in a surge of male allies.” Men and boys must play their part to eliminate the practice of FGM, including religious and traditional leaders, health workers, law enforcement officials, members of civil society and grassroots organizations, and more. Ending FGM is a joint effort and will require the whole communities working together to address it.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewelinaochab/2023/02/06/united-nations-men-and-boys-to-play-active-role-to-end-fgm/