The term "female genital mutilation" (FGM) encompasses all procedures that alter or injure the female genitalia for non-medical reasons and is internationally recognized as a violation of the human rights, health, and integrity of girls and women. International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation is February 6.
Girls who are subjected to female genital mutilation face both short-term complications like severe pain, shock, excessive bleeding, infections, and difficulty passing urine as well as long-term effects on their mental health and sexual and reproductive health.
Female genital mutilation is a worldwide issue that affects 30 countries in Africa and the Middle East, but it is also practiced in some Asian and Latin American nations. Immigrant populations living in Western Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand continue to practice female genital mutilation.
Globally, the prevalence of FGM has decreased over the past 25 years. A girl's likelihood of having FGM today is one-third lower than it was 30 years ago. However, failure to maintain these achievements in the face of humanitarian crises like disease outbreaks, climate change, armed conflict, and others may result in a reversal of progress toward gender equality and the eradication of female genital mutilation (FGM) by 2030.
Through sustainable partnerships with men and boys, there is potential to eradicate this harmful practice with eight years remaining in this decade of action. Girls and women can realize their rights and potential in terms of health, education, income, and equality by using their voices and actions to change deeply ingrained social and gender norms.
Coordinated and methodical efforts are needed to end female genital mutilation. They also need to involve entire communities, focus on human rights, gender equality, sexual education, and the needs of women and girls who are harmed by it.
Men End Female Genital Mutilation — #MenEndFGM In 2012, the United Nations General Assembly declared February 6 the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation in an effort to intensify and direct efforts to end this practice.
The UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Program on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation's this year achievements include: The 2023 theme was introduced by Delivering the Global Promise. Collaboration with both men and boys to alter social and gender norms in order to end FGM."
This year, UNFPA and UNICEF are urging the global community to collaborate with men and boys and encourage their participation in order to speed up the eradication of this harmful practice and raise women's and girls' voices. Organizations all over the world have used a variety of strategies to engage men and boys, form partnerships with them, and encourage them to take an active role. A surge of male allies, including religious and traditional leaders, health professionals, law enforcement officers, members of civil society and grassroots organizations, and others, have benefited from these initiatives, which have resulted in significant advancements in the protection of girls and women.
Participate in our social media campaign and join our online campaign this year. Show the world how you support #MenEndFGM! Here, the entire campaign is included.
UN Action There are good reasons to believe that female genital mutilation could end in a single generation, despite the fact that the practice has been around for more than a thousand years. In accordance with the spirit of Sustainable Development Goal 5, the United Nations aims to eradicate it completely by 2030.
The largest global program to accelerate the eradication of female genital mutilation has been led by UNFPA and UNICEF since 2008. As of right now, 17 nations in Africa and the Middle East are the primary focus of the Joint Programme, which also lends support to initiatives at the regional and global levels.
This partnership has accomplished a lot over the years. More than 6 million women and girls received services related to FGM prevention, protection, and care thanks to the joint program's support. 45 million people publicly declared their opposition to FGM. FGM was prevented from happening to 532,158 girls. source: 2021 Annual Report on Female Genital Mutilation] Did You Know?
FGM frequently asked questions The power of education to end female genital mutilation As the world rallies to accelerate progress against FGM, understanding what drives change in how people think about the practice and act is key to its elimination. One such factor is education. Learn more about what Priscilla Nanagiro went through in Amudat regarding female genital mutilation.
Rooting out FGM in Uganda's rural communities Priscilla Nanagiro is one of 60 community activists working with a UN Women program to eradicate FGM in Uganda's rural communities. She went from being a practitioner to a survivor of the practice. The "SASA!" method is used in the program – a comprehensive model that, through community engagement, has been able to significantly alter harmful social norms all over the world, particularly in Africa.
an abstract illustration of people participating in a celebration What is the purpose of International Days?
International days and weeks serve as occasions to inform the general public about pressing issues, to mobilize political will and resources to address global issues, and to recognize and celebrate human achievements. Although the United Nations has embraced international days as a powerful advocacy tool, their existence predates the organization. We also commemorate other UN events.
"A specific goal in the Sustainable Development Goals calls for an end to female genital mutilation. Girls and women will be able to reclaim their health, human rights, and enormous potential when this practice is completely stopped. Internationally recognized as a violation of the human rights of girls and women, female genital mutilation (FGM) encompasses all procedures that alter or injure the female genitalia for non-medical reasons.
It is an extreme form of discrimination against girls and women and reflects a deep-seated inequality between the sexes. In addition, if the procedure results in death, it violates their rights to health, safety, and physical integrity, as well as their right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
The elimination of female genital mutilation (FGM) requires coordinated and methodical efforts that involve entire communities and place an emphasis on human rights and gender equality. The empowerment of communities to take collective action to end the practice and societal dialogue ought to be at the forefront of these efforts. Additionally, they must address the sexual and reproductive health requirements of girls and women who are impacted by its effects.
The largest global effort to accelerate the end of female genital mutilation (FGM) is led by UNFPA and UNICEF together. At the moment, 17 African nations are the focus of the program, which also supports initiatives at the regional and global levels.
The theme for 2016 was "Achieving the New Global Goals by Ending Female Genital Mutilation by 2030."
The 17 goals, which are collectively referred to as the "Global Goals" or "Sustainable Development Goals," are intended to effect global change within the next 15 years. They build on the Millennium Development Goals, which were set in 2000 and have helped millions of people around the world live better lives.
The UNFPA collaborates with governments, partners, and other UN agencies to directly address many of these goals, particularly Goal 3, which focuses on health, Goal 4, which focuses on education, and Goal 5, which focuses on gender equality. Additionally, it contributes in a variety of ways to achieving many of the remaining goals.
Important Information:
It is estimated that at least 200 million women and girls worldwide have undergone some form of female genital mutilation (FGM).
By 2030, 15 million more girls between the ages of 15 and 19 will be affected by it if current trends continue.
44 million girls under the age of 14 have been cut, with the highest prevalence of FGM among this age group in Gambia (56%), Mauritania (54%), and Indonesia (where approximately half of girls under the age of 11 have undergone the procedure).
Somalia has the highest percentage of girls and women between the ages of 15 and 49, with 98%, Guinea with 97%, and Djibouti with 93%.
The majority of FGM is performed on young girls between the ages of one and fifteen.
FGM can result in severe bleeding, health problems like cysts, infections, infertility, and an increased risk of newborn death.
Girls' and women's human rights are being violated by FGM.
The history of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation One of the supporting ideas for this day acknowledges that culture is in "continuous motion" and that, given the high risk of FGM, its abolition must happen quickly. This movement promotes women's rights to their bodies and the protection of their physical health, both of which can have a significant impact on their lives in the future. The fight against violence against women and girls as a whole will be strengthened by these measures. According to Every Woman, Every Child, "FGM is a global problem, and it is also done in several countries in Asia and Latin America," even though it is most common in 29 countries in Africa and the Middle East.
Significance According to the World Health Organization, 120 to 140 million women have been the victims of female genital mutilation (FGM), and at least 3 million girls are at risk each year. It is an effort to promote the abolition of FGM and raise global awareness of the practice. The World Health Organization states, "Comprehensive research indicates that FGM can be eliminated in one generation, despite the fact that the practice has survived for over a thousand years."
What will the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation in 2023 be all about?
The UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Program on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation's this year achievements include: The 2023 theme was introduced by Delivering the Global Promise. Increasing Investment in the Campaign to Stop Female Genital Mutilation Due to the pandemic, many nations are experiencing a "crisis within a crisis," with an increase in female cases.
Which five nations have widespread FGM practices?
Somalia is where FGM is practiced.
Egypt.
Sudan.
In Sierra Leone.
Eritrea.
Gambia.
Ethiopia.
What is FGM's purpose?
Psychiatric motives: FGM is performed to control women's sexuality, which is sometimes referred to as being insatiable if genitalia, particularly the clitoris, are not removed. It is believed to increase male sexual pleasure and to guarantee virginity before marriage and fidelity afterward.
What can be done about FGM?
1. Challenge the discriminatory motives behind the practice of fgm. Adapt traditions with the support of older generations.
Educate girls about their right to control their bodies.
Speak out about the dangers and facts associated with FGM.
Spread awareness that FGM is not required by religion.
For International Women's Day in 2023, what will the global campaign's theme be?
Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow is this year's observance's theme. The year 2023 is crucial for achieving gender equality in the context of climate change, reducing disaster and environmental risk, and addressing some of the world's most pressing issues of the 21st century.
Which two kinds of mutilation are there?
Abstract. PIP: Clitoridectomy and excision with infibulation are the two most common forms of female genital mutilation. The clitoris, a portion of the labia minora, and frequently all of the external soft genital tissue are removed during clitoridectomy.
What exactly does it mean to mutilate someone?
: a situation in which a person or animal's limb or other body part is destroyed, removed, or severely damaged. the dismemberment of a body. They were men whose sexual health had been compromised by illness, accident, or intentional mutilation.
What symptoms does FGM present?
Signs that FGM may have occurred: Having trouble standing, walking, or sitting.
spending more time in the toilet or bathroom.
a quiet, anxious, or depressed appearance
displaying a different behavior following a break from school or college.
refusal to undergo routine medical examinations or visit the doctor.
What exactly is child mutilation?
Female genital mutilation (FGM), or the ritual cutting and alteration of a woman's genitalia, is still practiced in some parts of Africa and in some communities in the Middle East and Asia.
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