Ending female genital mutilation

 Ending female genital mutilation

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) refers to the partial or total removal of the genitalia of a girl child/female for non-medical reasons. Sometimes called female circumcision, it is an act that simply entails the cutting of all or some parts of the external female genitalia to render the female child sexually dull, among other unjustifiable non-medical purposes.

Although FGM is an age-long practice very common all over the world due to some cultural, historical, and social narratives, it is a fact that the practice lacks a medically justifiable standing, thus, a harmful traditional practice by whatever nation engaging in such.

Surprisingly, as grievous and socially debasing female genital mutilation is, Africa, Asia, and states of the Middle East rank as top perpetrators of the act. As a practice, it is rooted in gender inequality and a tactic to control the sexuality of women and their dignity.

This is obvious because the external genitals of the female child are mostly mutilated right from childhood (on young girls between infancy and age 15). A violation of the child’s rights, as the practice is carried out against the will of the female child.

Another thing that must be noted is that whatever the form or type the female genital mutilation may take, it is a painful and injurious act as the procedure for doing so subjects the female child to heavy blood loss, tissue swelling, deep bleeding, contamination of blood, difficulty urinating, and sometimes leads to death.

Besides, a woman with mutilated genitals is at a very high risk of having difficulties during childbirth. There exactly lies the inevitable evil in female genital mutilation.

More disturbing is the fact that in most of the societies where the practice of female genital mutilation is prevalent, the traditional circumciser is usually an older woman who goes to the girl child’s house to get her external genitalia mutilated, having carried instruments like razors, scissors, knives which oftentimes are already infected and the circumciser may not be aware of the contamination and in most cases doesn’t care to sterilize.

Meanwhile, governments and countries around the world have found female genital mutilation as a social cankerworm threatening the life of the girl child, her dignity as a woman, and her self-esteem. To this end has several strategies and schemes been put in place to curb and eradicate this harmful practice to the extent that female genital mutilation is fast becoming a crime.

For instance, the United Nations Population Fund in conjunction with UNICEF champions the Joint Programme on the Elimination of FGM, the largest body advocating the eradication of this harmful practice.

Why must an ancient practice that usually leads to depression, widespread infection, urinal dysfunction, and possible death be made to continue?

It is not to be seen as the business of feminists alone but that of all who love humanity and desire to get rid of a society where the female children are socially excluded, psychologically traumatized, and sexually discriminated which of course, are the aftermaths of female genital mutilation.

Above all, what makes female genital mutilation (FGM) highly appalling, very caustic, and needless is that till the present day 21st century, there’s no proven health benefit mutilating the female genitals avails the girl child.

By logic, if an age-long practice like female genital mutilation till now has neither medical backings nor factual health profits for the female child, then, what exact reason would make its continuity justifiable?

Therefore, as male, female, and youth advocates of human rights, especially that of women, it is our generational task to flush away all those harmful traditional practices, beliefs, stereotypes, and superstitions that are vestiges of cultural conspiracies and merchants of the said social derogation and humiliation of the female child.

Female Genital Mutilation or whatever synonyms it is being tagged must be labelled as a great disservice to the female race; the progenitor of mankind.