Female Genital Mutilation

Female Genital Mutilation
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Synonyms	FGM, female circumcision
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Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), also known as female circumcision, is a practice involving the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. This practice is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women and reflects deep-rooted inequality between the sexes.

Types

FGM is classified into four major types:

• Type I: Often referred to as clitoridectomy, this involves the partial or total removal of the clitoris and, in very rare cases, only the prepuce (the fold of skin surrounding the clitoris).
• Type II: Also known as excision, this is the partial or total removal of the clitoris and the labia minora, with or without excision of the labia majora.
• Type III: Known as infibulation, this procedure involves narrowing of the vaginal opening through the creation of 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 clitoris.
• Type IV: This includes all other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes, e.g., pricking, piercing, incising, scraping, and cauterization.

Prevalence

FGM is practiced in 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. It affects more than 200 million girls and women alive today. The practice is most common in the western, eastern, and north-eastern regions of Africa, in some countries in Asia and the Middle East, and among migrants from these areas.

Health effects

FGM has no health benefits and often leads to long-term physical, psychological, and sexual complications, including:

• Severe pain
• Excessive bleeding (hemorrhage)
• Genital tissue swelling
• Fever
• Infections e.g., tetanus
• Urinary problems
• Wound healing problems
• Injury to surrounding genital tissue
• Shock
• Death

Cultural, religious, and social causes

Various cultural, religious, and social factors contribute to the perpetuation of FGM. In many communities, it is considered a rite of passage into womanhood and a condition for marriage. Often associated with cultural ideals of femininity and modesty, which include the notion that girls are clean and beautiful after removal of body parts that are considered unclean, unfeminine, or male.

International response and legislation

International efforts to combat FGM include the United Nations' campaigns and the enforcement of legal frameworks that forbid this practice. Many countries where FGM is prevalent have passed laws against the practice, but the enforcement of these laws is variable and often weak.

See also

• Human rights
• Women's health
• Child abuse