The world is in one voice, celebrating and pushing the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The United Nations has tagged the 2025 Theme as Step up the Pace.
Did you know that according to the United Nations:
– Over 230 million girls and women alive today who are survivors of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and need access to appropriate care services.
– An estimated 27 million additional girls are at risk of undergoing FGM by 2030 unless action is accelerated.
-To end FGM by 2030, the current pace of progress must accelerate by 27 times.
– Every year, over 2 million girls are subjected to female genital mutilation before their fifth birthday.
United Nations has continued to call on the world to unite to end female Genital mutilation as it has proven to cause more damage than good.
FGM is predominant in African rural areas where it is believed to instil chastity in ladies. In most communities, a woman is celebrated as she undergoes the act of circumcision, which is done by elderly women.
In 2012, the UN General Assembly designated February 6th as the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation to amplify and direct the efforts on the elimination of this practice.
UN has urged that the world strengthen its alliances and build a movement to end FGM while stepping up its pace to achieve it.
World Health Organisation (WHO) said in several settings, there is evidence suggesting greater involvement of health workers in performing FGM due to the belief that the procedure is safer when medicalised. WHO strongly urges health workers not to perform FGM and has developed a global strategy and specific materials to support the health sector and health workers themselves to end FGM medicalization.
Female genital mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons.
The practice of FGM is recognised internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women.
According to WHO, Female genital mutilation is classified into four major types:
Type 1: This is the partial or total removal of the clitoral glans (the external and visible part of the clitoris, which is a sensitive part of the female genitals) and/or the prepuce/clitoral hood (the fold of skin surrounding the clitoral glans).
Type 2: This is the partial or total removal of the clitoral glans and the labia minora (the inner folds of the vulva), with or without removal of the labia majora (the outer folds of skin of the vulva).
Type 3: Also known as infibulation, this is the 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 clitoral prepuce/clitoral hood and glans.
Type 4: This includes all other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes, e.g., pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterizing the genital area.
