FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION
According the World Health Organization( WHO) Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is defined as any procedures that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. These procedures can result in severe bleeding, problems urinating, cysts, infections, infertility as well as complications in childbirth and increased risk of newborn deaths. Worldwide there are over 140 million women living with the consequences of FGM and according to the WHO website about 92 million girls in Africa undergo this age old practice. The procedure is also conducted to girls from infancy to the age of 15 years.
PREVALENCE OF FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION IN AFRICA
FGM still continues in many countries around the world but more commonly it is still being reported in large numbers in Africa.( Refer to the map below and the map on the right side). In African tradition FGM is believed to be the transition from adolescent to adulthood and also thought to increase the chances of marriage for the girls. Usually after the procedure a lot of the girls suffer infections from non-sterilized utensils, severe bleeding and sometimes death. Of the girls who survive the procedure many of them drop out of school and are married off to older men. Girls who have undergone the practice or narrowly escaped it have described the experience as traumatizing.
This is graph indicates some of the leading counties in Africa that still practices Female Genital Mutilation and the age ranges. To learn more about the severity visit this link.
FGM is inhumane because it is subjecting women to risky procedures that are not beneficial to their health. It is enraging for a leader from the Masai community saying “they were happy”. How can they be happy when these girls try to escape from their communities because of the procedure. Does the fact that they cry in agony mean nothing to the midwives that hold them down, or the person cutting the girls with no-sterilized utensils but worse of all do they think it is necessary to subject them to this age old practice? (Below is a link to a story on the practice that is still going on in Kenya).
As time goes by the age range for girls that have to undergo FGM are younger each year. It is a shame that we have taken strides to overcome obstacles that have come our way but are unable to say that we have eradicated the practice FGM. What makes a difference though is reading about it and spreading awareness that it still happens. What makes a difference is when reporters such as Mae Azango risk their lives to bring awareness of FGM still going on in Liberia. When activists like Ayaan Hirsi Ali, share their stories and experiences. She gives the voiceless girls a voice. The countless organizations that fight for FGM to be abolished and continue to make it an issue until it is resolved. As much as it is still prevalent in Africa, people are fighting for it to come to an end. My hope is that one day FGM will be a thing of the past and that young girls worldwide won’t have to worry about the age old tradition.
Sources:
Whiting, Kristin. "Reporter's Notebook: Female Circumcision in Africa." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 19 Feb. 2002. Web. 13 Dec. 2012
1 comment:
Susan--Your report is a meaningful contribution to the public agenda and a powerful call for action. Well done! Be certain to keep blogging and reporting.
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