FGM Basics / Alternative Rites / Human Rights / National Laws
Introduction
Commonly called female circumcision, female genital mutilation (FGM) is the tradition of cutting part or all of the external female genitalia, marking a girl’s passage to womanhood. FGM is internationally recognized as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. Various forms of FGM practiced to varying degrees in Kenya, across much of Northern Africa and in other parts of the world. Worldwide, an estimated 140 million girls and women are living with the consequences of FGM.(1)
The World Health Organization has grouped the types of FGM into four broad categories:
- Type I, commonly called a “clitoridectomy”, is the removal of the clitoral hood with or without the clitoris;
- Type II, commonly called “excision”, is the removal of the clitoris with partial or total excision of the labia minora;
- Type III, commonly called “infibulation”, is the removal of part or all of the external genitalia and stitching or narrowing the vaginal opening, leaving a small hole to allow for the flow of urine and menstrual blood [often the girl’s legs are bound together from the hip to the ankle for approximately 40 days to allow for the formation of scar tissue]; and
- Type IV includes all procedures involving part of total removal of the external genitalia for cultural or any other non-therapeutic reasons. (1)
Click here to see a map of prevalence rates throughout Africa.
Facts and Figures
The practice is most common in the western, eastern, and north-eastern regions of Africa, in some countries in Asia and the Middle East, and among certain immigrant communities in North America and Europe. (1) Our “End FGM” programme is focused in Kenya. According to a 2003 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, certain ethnic groups practice FGM more frequently, including the Kisii, Maasai, Somali and Juria with circumcision rates above 90%, while women from the Luo and Luhya groups have rates of less than 1%. (2) Although FGM is illegal in Kenya, 32% of Kenyan women are still circumcised with impunity.
Health Consequences
There are no health benefits to women or girls who undergo FGM. Immediate effects of FGM can include: psychological trauma, severe blood loss, bacterial or viral infection, sexually transmitted infections, tetanus, HIV, hepatitis, injury to the urethra / nerves, obstruction to urine flow, septicemia, and death. Long term effects can include: obstruction of urine flow, chronic urinary tract infections, chronic pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, obstructed labour, fistula, and uterine prolapse. Further, the procedure is usually performed by traditional circumcisers, who often use un-sterilized instruments such as razor blades or traditional knives which pose a serious threat to the physical, emotional and psychological health of the woman.
Prevention Programs
FGM is a rite of passage for girls to transition into womanhood. Most often, the procedure is carried out on girls between infancy and age 15, however, occasionally it is performed on adult women as well. In Africa, about 92 million girls age 10 years and above are estimated to have undergone FGM.
This transition is performed for a number of reasons, including: as a requirement for cultural and tribal identity; as a status gained allowing a young woman to participate in adult privileges, duties and responsibilities as assigned by the society, such as marriage and procreation; as a form of controlling a woman’s bodily integrity and sexuality; as a ‘cleansing’ of the genitals and/or blood; as a means to ‘ease’ childbirth. Many of these reasons are cultural taboos, social constructions, and myths that can be dispelled through, among others, education, awareness raising, communication, and dialogue.
There is a strong correlation between educational levels and rates of circumcision; women with no education are almost three times more likely to be circumcised. A similar situation can be observed with urban dwelling women, whereby rural women tend to be more likely to undergo FGM.
Prevalence of FGM in Kenya is on the decline. This is attributed to public awareness campaigns to educate and end the practice as well as ongoing efforts to promote alternative rites of passage. These efforts must continue.
Endnotes
- International statistics and other WHO descriptions of FGM can be found on the WHO FGM Factsheet.
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Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) [Kenya], Ministry of Health (MOH) [Kenya] and ORC Macro. 2004. Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2003: Key Findings. Calverton, Maryland, USA: CBS, MOH and ORC Macro. Page 13.
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