Female genital mutilation involves partially removing the female genitalia or damaging the female genitalia for non-medical reasons. Health-wise it can cause severe complications. Female genital mutilation can cause severe bleeding and problems with urination, cysts, infections, and complications with childbirth. It also increases the risk of death of the newborn. Millions of girls and women have been cut out in several countries such as Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Female genital mutilation is mostly performed on young girls as low as 15 years of age. The practice is based on circumcision, which often plays a central role in communities.
Female genital mutilation is recognized as a violation of the human and constitutional rights of girls and women. It is a reflection of deep-rooted inequality between the sexes. It represents an extreme form of discrimination against women. It is almost always carried out in relation to minors and children. This practice also violates the human rights to safety, health, and physical integrity. The right to be free from torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, and the right to life when the procedure results in death are also violated.
In order to cast out such a blemish activity from our culture, a strong political will is required from our leaders who can stand against the cultural pressure of the society. And this won’t be an easy task. Also to show the disadvantages of this cruel practice, more and more education needs to be penetrated in the mindset of the people of the society. It is just not acceptable that girls have to go through such kinds of horrific practices just to be compliant with socio-religious practices that have no logic or place in the modern world.
We have to make people of our society more empathic and humane to see that such cruel treatment is just not acceptable.