They call it tradition, they disguise it as a rite of passage, but in reality it is a brutal form of gender-based violence. Millions of girls around the world are subjected to a practice that leaves indelible wounds on their bodies and their lives, a practice called female genital mutilation.
There is no anesthesia. There is no consent. There is no choice. Just a girl, often under the age of ten, forcibly immobilized while a blade, a razor or even a sharp glass marks her body forever. Female genital mutilation (FGM) is neither a practice of the past nor an isolated horror story. It is a reality that, today, continues to affect more than 200 million women and girls around the world, mainly in African and Asian countries. By 2025, more than 4.4 million girls, some 12,200 every day, are at risk of this practice.
What is behind this cruel custom, why does it still exist in the 21st century, why is it still invisible? And most importantly, how can it be eradicated without the victims facing reprisals within their own communities?
Why is it practiced and what are its consequences?
"As of today, more than 230 million girls and women have been victims of this abhorrent practice" said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a speech where he described it as "one of the most brutal manifestations of gender inequality."
Female genital mutilation can be practiced for a variety of reasons, the most common being custom and tradition, as it is carried out as a rite of passage from childhood to adulthood or as a requirement for women to be considered "pure." Some justify it under aesthetic and hygienic beliefs, considering the external female genitalia to be dirty or unattractive. Social pressure also plays a key role, as within a community it becomes an element of social conformity. However, the most outrageous reason is the control of female sexuality to reduce women's desire and avoid premarital sex, since in these regions the value of a girl is closely linked to this practice, to her chastity and submission.
But when a community practices FGM, there is no turning back. The clitoral hood and glands are removed, the inner labia are removed and the vulva is sewn shut .The vagina is closed leaving only a hole to let out urine and menstrual flows and reopened for sexual intercourse and childbirth. This practice varies from country to country: from less invasive versions such as type 1 or type 2, practiced in Sierra Leone, to extreme forms such as type 3, known as infibulation, in countries such as Somalia and Sudan.
Regardless of the type, however, the consequences are still devastating. Victims suffer severe physical damage: hemorrhaging, urinary retention and infections that can lead to death. Beyond the physical damage, the psychological trauma is immense, causing depression, loss of confidence, feelings of incompleteness and even social isolation.
The lifelong after-effects
Victims of female genital mutilation are scarred for life, not only with visible scars, but with after-effects that stay with them forever. Many girls suffer severe infections due to the lack of hygiene in the procedure, which is often performed with rusty blades, broken glass or unsterilized razors. There is no anesthesia or medical care afterwards, only pain and fear. Some face uncontrollable bleeding that can lead to death in a matter of hours. Others develop complications over time: difficulty urinating, chronic pain, recurrent infections and, in many cases, infertility. For those who survive, childbirth can become a traumatic and dangerous experience, with a high risk of death for both them and their babies.
But beyond the physical damage, the psychological impact is devastating. Many girls grow up with a sense of incompleteness, fear and an imposed silence that haunts them into adulthood. Depression and loss of confidence are common, as is social isolation when the physical aftermath makes them a "burden" to their families or future husbands.
For many, the deepest wound is not only the physical, but the betrayal. They must also face the reality that those who should protect them-their mothers, grandmothers, aunts-are the ones who permit and perpetuate this practice. It is not strangers who mutilate them, but their own families, the women in their community, those they trust the most. It is they who, convinced they are doing the right thing, hold their daughters while they are cut. They believe it is their duty, that without FGM, their daughters will have no future, will not be respected, will not find a husband. They think they are protecting them.
But the girls grow up with a sense of betrayal, of misunderstanding, of fear. Many never talk about what was done to them. They learn to keep quiet, because questioning tradition means challenging their own family, their culture, everything around them.
"They held me down and she cut this part of my body. I didn't know why. This was the first trauma in my life: I didn't know what wrong I had done to these older people, whom I loved, for her to be on top of me, spreading my legs to hurt me. Psychologically it was like a nervous breakdown for me."
FGM survivor in Kenya.
Where is it practiced?
Female genital mutilation is concentrated in about 30 countries, mainly in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. Among the nations with the highest rates are Somalia, Guinea, Mali, Egypt and Sudan, where more than 80% of women have undergone the practice.
But the problem is not limited to the communities where it originated. Mutilation also occurs in the diaspora, i.e. among migrant populations living in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. In countries such as the United Kingdom, France and the United States, there have been cases of girls being taken back to their countries of origin during school vacations to be mutilated, in what is known as thecutting season.
And despite being illegal in many countries, the tradition persists and has been driven underground. In regions such as Egypt and Sudan it is practiced secretly in homes or has even led families to move their daughters to rural areas or neighboring countries where legislation is more permissive or surveillance less strict. But more worrying is the medicalization of this practice in which some medical professionals encourage parents to take their daughters to clinics under the pretext that it is "more sanitary" and less harmful to health, thus reducing the risks. However, organizations such as the UN and WHO have condemned the practice, pointing out that there is no safe form of female genital mutilation. Even if it is performed in a hospital, it is still a violation of human rights and an irreversible assault on girls and women.
"There is no modern and non-modern mutilation, because whether in a center or in a home, women are harmed ."
Nicole Ndongala, director of Karibu.
The global challenge of eradicating female genital mutilation:
There is no way to hide the reality of what is being done to these women and girls: their bodily integrity, health and safety are violated. FGM not only physically disfigures a woman, it also strips her of her fundamental rights. It limits her access to education, reduces her autonomy and makes her more "marriageable" by making her more submissive and silent.
Ending this practice is a complex challenge, because it involves challenging deeply held beliefs in the societies that practice it. However, change is happening. While it currently affects 65% of girls and women, compared to 80% in 2000, it is still a chilling figure. In recent years, awareness and educational campaigns have resulted in more women rejecting this tradition.
Many survivors have spoken out, telling their stories and warning of the physical and emotional consequences of mutilation. Thanks to this effort, more and more mothers are deciding not to subject their daughters to this suffering, which has led to a reduction in the numbers in some regions. In Somalia, for example, the rate of FGM has dropped from 98% to 65% in recent decades.
"I used to ask my mother why she did this to me. I would question her about why she exposed me to so much suffering. I promised myself that I would not mutilate my daughter ."Abida Dawud, a survivor of female genital mutilation.
But the struggle is not over. There is nothing honorable about the mutilation of girls. No cultural element justifies the denial and violation of the human rights of children.
FGM is not only a public health issue, it is a human rights issue. It is a form of gender-based violence that must be eradicated at its root, with education, laws and the empowerment of women and girls in their own communities.
Because tradition cannot continue to cost lives.
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