Global fight to eliminate FGM continues on International Day of Zero Tolerance

By MediaGlobal

11 February 2010 [MediaGlobal]:The annual International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) which took place on 6 February is an ideal opportunity to raise awareness and to encourage discussions about the destructive and harmful impact of the practice worldwide. According to UNICEF, nearly 3 million girls are at risk of FGM each year, and nearly 120 to 140 million women have been subject to this the practice.

The Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices posted signs such as this as part of a campaign for ‘STOP female genital mutilation’. (Photo credit: Creative Commons.)

FGM has been practiced for centuries, is believed to predate both Islam and Christianity and is performed for a number of different and culturally-specific reasons. There is no clear record of where or why the practice began.Contrary to western ideals, it is not seen as a human rights violation in some cultures and it is often done merely to improve hygiene, to eliminate disease, or out of social pressure. The procedure is often carried out by doctors or by a midwife, in unsanitary conditions and without anesthetic.

Dr. R. Elise B. Johansen of the World Health Organization (WHO) told MediaGlobal that this year WHO is highlighting the issue of the ‘medicalization of FGM’. This refers to the fact that, in many countries, health care providers are the ones responsible for performing FGM on girls and women. The WHO estimates that 18 percent of all girls and women who have been subjected to FGM, have had it done by health care providers. Dr Johansen also stated on the matter that when health care providers perform FGM, it contributes to the legitimization and institutionalization of the practice. Dr Johansen told MediaGlobalthat: “This undermines the global efforts toward the total abandonment of FGM. To help the countries curb this practice, WHO is currently coordinating the work of writing a global strategy against the medicalization of FGM, that can help as guidance in this process”.

Many women do not become aware that they have undergone FGM until much later in life, partly due to societal norms discouraging open discussion about sex. According to the WHO, FGM is practiced in parts of western and eastern Africa, some countries in Asia and the Middle East, and even in some immigrant communities in Europe and North America, despite the fact that the practice is illegal in most western countries. According to Amnesty International (AI), FGM affects an estimated 500,000 women and girls in Europe. Because of this it is important that FGM is seen as a global problem,and not just an issue for developing countries. AI has been working to engage the European Union with third world countries on the issue with a campaign called END FGM. European Campaign Director for END FGM Dr. Christine Loudes told MediaGlobal: “Being the world’s largest donor, the EU should engage with countries where FGM is prevalent and support the efforts of governments and civil society organizations to combat FGM. A collaborative approach involving all international actors is essential to further the global movement towards ending this human rights violation.”

Grassroots organizations in developing countries have also begun to use modern tools to challenge cultural misconceptions about the practice of FGM and to educate the local youth on the issue. The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) has started a new project in west Africa where information and communication technologies (ICTs) are used as a means to educate and share information on a variety of social issues. ICTs include community radio programs, text messaging, and the Internet. The project has particular relevance in many west African countries. For example, according to the IDRC, more than 90 percent of women in Mali have been circumcised. This project is also extremely important to a culture where sex and sexuality are taboo issues, and where many girls do not have access to information about their bodies.

Ramata Thioune, Gender Expert with the IDRC,works in their regional office in Dakar, Senegal and administers the ICT project locally. Thioune told MediaGlobal:“FGM raises complex and multidimensional issues-medical, economic, cultural, socio-economic, therefore solutions need a systems approach to change. I believe, in Africa, solutions will come from communities, more specifically from young girls and boys. Because they are networked, exposed, more receptive and porous to new ideas and behavioral changes, these girls and boys have greater access to knowledge; they are empowered to stand for their rights and are able to challenge resistances to change into their communities. As social entrepreneurs, the youth acquire and use new skills to catalyze and emulate social and cultural changes into their communities, including the abandonment of FGM.”