Every year, millions of women are stripped of fundamental human rights in the name of tradition and purification. According to the World Health Organization, there are over 125 million girls and women alive today who have been subject to female genital mutilation (FGM). FGM can be the partial to complete removal of the clitoris and labia, the partial closure of the vaginal opening, or harm to the genitalia such as scraping or cauterizing. This culturally rooted barbaric and sexist practice is one of the most widespread forms of gender discrimination in the world. Most of this practice is concentrated in 29 countries in the Middle East and Africa, where it is a common practice and social norm. In a 2013 UNICEF report, approximately 85 percent of girls were found to have been victims of FGM in nine countries including Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Sudan.
The problem is not restricted by borders, however. In North America and Europe FGM is becoming a massive issue. In Canada, many will send their young daughters abroad to have the procedure. In countries where the procedure has recently become illegal, it is often performed in an unsafe and unsanitary fashion. In Kenya, where FGM is illegal, as of 2011, the issues around unsafe procedures are rampant, suggesting that illegality alone cannot solve the issue. Similar to the illegality of drugs or prostitution, a black market for FGM has emerged. With no control or restrictions, unsanitary surgical instruments, unsafe locations, and untrained operators are the norm.
The procedure is most often performed on girls between infancy and puberty as a means of discouraging a woman in engaging in or enjoying pre-marital sex. FGM in some cultures is associated with preserving innocence and promoting femininity and modesty and keeping a woman pure. These values are deep rooted in many cultures and are often carried with them when migrating. FGM is considered a cultural tradition in many societies, which is its most common defense. This argument is difficult to use as a relevant defense when children’s rights are being breached so severely. Additionally, there are many negative health consequences of FGM both short and long term as outlined by the World Health Organization. It interferes with natural body functions and causes irreparable damage. Short term effects include severe pain, shock, bleeding, and bacterial infection. Long term effects may include recurrent urinary tract infections, cysts, infertility, childbirth complications, psychological damage, and often reparative surgeries. In the case of vaginal sealing or narrowing, reopening and reclosing surgeries for childbirth are necessary.
It should be noted that FGM is in no way comparable to its male counterpart. While male genital mutilations are common practice around the world, they are performed, for the most part, for completely different reasons. Male genital mutilation, most commonly circumcision, has many health benefits and very few negative consequences. That being said, unsafe and brutal genital mutilation is also being performed on men, but to a far lesser scale.
The UN and most individual nations condemn the practice of female genital mutilation but we are far from eradicating the tradition. France has leading legislation on the issue, and has had over 100 prosecutions in the past thirty years. There are many countries, such as the UK, who have created laws to protect against FGM, but very few have been prosecuted. On April 15, 2014, Dr. Dhanoun Dharmasena and Hassan Mohamed will stand before the court for allegedly performing FGM and encouraging FGM, respectively. They will be the UK’s first ever prosecution of the issue. The prosecution both raises awareness of the issue that exists around the world and of the progress that has yet to be made.
Even though it seems customary that nations frown upon FGM, it is far from being completely condemned and stopped at an international scale. People of North America and the world must take a stance now to protect female rights and freedom of the body from such a gruesome process.
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