Over 200 million women alive today have been subjected to the practice of FGM, yet many people have never heard of this practice.
So what is FGM? Female genital mutilation is a procedure where the female genitals are deliberately cut, injured or changed. On average girls are subjected to FGM between the ages of 0 and 15.
FGM is classified into 4 types with the worst one being type 3, also known as infibulation. This is the complete scrapping of the vagina and stitching it together, leaving a small hole for the escape of urine and menstrual blood. The girl’s legs are then tied with a rope for up to 40 days in order for the wound to heal. The stitching may be removed for marriage and childbirth, and in some cases, women are stitched up again after childbirth (infibulation).
This practice is unjustifiable as no religion directly prescribes it, nor does it have any health benefits; even though many use these two excuses to justify the procedure. This violation of human rights subjects children to too many health risks to count.
If you would like to help combat this issue you can start by visiting https://www.endfgm.eu/
Written by Lujain B
Artwork by Isabel
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