16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Day 3

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM):The World Health Organization defines FGM as any procedure that involves partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-surgical reasons.  

• The procedure has no health benefits for girls or women
• Procedures can cause severe bleeding and problems urinating, and later cysts, infections, infertility as well as complications in childbirth increased risk of newborn death
• FGM is carried out on young girls sometime between infancy and age 15
• In Africa an estimated 101 million girls 10 years old and above have undergone FGM
• FGM is a violation of of the human rights of girls and women (WHO Fact Sheet on FGM, 2013)

This video explains what FGM is:



Female Genital Mutilation and Female Genital Cutting (FGC) is a global problem. FGM-A ritual of agony provides an in-depth look at how this procedure affects the lives of women and girls.

What can you do to help educate others about FGM and FGC

If you are not aware of the facts about FGM and FGC, please take the time to educate yourself about what these procedures do to women and girl's bodies.

There are organizations that work on ending Female Genital Mutilation. 

• 16 Organizations, Charities and Grassroots Groups Working to Stop Female Genital Mutilation
• Campaign Against Female Mutilation (CAGeM)
• Girls' Globe

Please take the time to visit one of the organizational websites and see what type of work is being done to help put an end to this human rights violation. Then consider if you can donate some portion of your time and resources to help in the fight to end this practice.

Related articles

• How FGM destroys sexual desire & deepens male domination
• Female genital mutilation is child abuse. We are failing young British girls | Leyla Hussein
• 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence
• 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Day 2
• System is 'failing' girls at risk of genital mutilation