Female Genital Mutilation

The Silent Global Epidemic

Every year, another three million girls will fall victim to

female genital mutilation. But still, their voices go unheard.

Release Me, Inc.

Email: info@ReleaseMeFGM.org • Web: www.ReleaseMeFGM.org
Female Genital Mutilation Defined

F emale genital mutilation (also known as female cir-

cumcision, female genital cutting, and female genital
mutilation/cutting) is a procedure that intentionally alters,
injures, or removes a females genital organs, partially or
wholly, for non-medical reasons.

Female genital mutilation is classified into four major

types:
 Clitoridectomy: partial or total removal of the
clitoris (a small, sensitive and erectile part of
the female genitals) and, in very rare cases,
only the prepuce (the fold of skin surrounding
the clitoris).
 Excision: partial or total removal of the clitoris
and the labia minora, with or without excision
of the labia majora (the labia are "the lips" that
surround the vagina).
 Infibulation: narrowing of the vaginal opening
through the creation of a covering seal. The
seal is formed by cutting and repositioning the
inner, or outer, labia, with or without removal
of the clitoris.
 Other: all other harmful procedures to the fe-
male genitalia for non-medical purposes, e.g.
pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cau-
terizing the genital area.

Female genital mutilation is most prevalent in 28 coun-

tries in Africa, but also occurs in Asia, the Middle East,
and throughout the entire world to varying degrees.

Every day, another 8,219 girls fall

victim to female genital mutilation -
that’s one girl every 11 seconds.
Why Female Genital Mutilation
Occurs

T here are a plethora of reasons that different cultural

groups practice female genital mutilation. Most of these
reasons are shrouded in myth, folklore, tradition, and
other misguided beliefs, which Release Me Strives to
eradicate with global education.

Some of the beliefs and reasons include:

 To reduce a woman’s sexual pleasure so she
won’t engage in premarital intercourse or ex-
tramarital affairs.
 To increase a woman’s femininity, as some
cultures view parts of the vagina, like the clito-
ris, as masculine, so they are removed.
 To cleanse a woman (a woman is considered
unclean until undergoing female genital muti-
lation). Some women are not allowed to han-
dle food or water until undergoing female geni-
tal mutilation.
 To protect the woman’s husband and baby, as
the clitoris is believed by some cultures to be
poisonous. In these cultures, it is believed
that the husband or baby will die upon touch-
ing the clitoris.
 To make a woman more fertile (although geni-
tal mutilation does not make a woman more
fertile).
 That an unmutilated woman will turn to lesbi-
anism and masturbation.
 That a woman’s clitoris will continue to grow
and even drag on the ground if not removed.
 That it is a religious--usually Islamic--
requirement (though it is not).
 That a woman will become wild if her external
genitalia are not removed.
 Female Genital Mutilation -
The Shocking Statistics

T he statistical figures that describe the prevalence of

female genital mutilation are staggering. Yet, the epi-
demic is still one shrouded in silence. With numbers like
these, why has our global community left female genital
mutilation in the dark for so long?

It is estimated that anywhere between 100 and 150 mil-

lion women worldwide have been affected by some form
of female genital mutilation.

Another three million girls, approximately, will be harmed

by female genital mutilation each year. That is approxi-
mately 8,219 girls each day, or one girl every 11 sec-
onds.

It is time these girls’ voices are heard. The world

has kept victims of female genital mutilation in the
shadows for too long.

"In some countries they only cut

out the clitoris, but here we do it
properly. We scrape our girls
clean. If it is properly done, noth-
ing is left, other than a scar. Eve-
rything has to be cut away."
~A Sudanese Woman
Anti-Female Genital Mutilation
Legislation: A Double-Edged
Sword

W hile there is a dire need for global action

against female genital mutilation, especially by
our governments and world leaders, anti-FGM
legislation is a double-edged sword.

Anti-FGM legislation has become more popular in

recent years, with more and more states and
countries making the practice of female genital
mutilation illegal. However, there are many unin-
tended effects of anti-FGM legislation that have
had a negative impact on the girls who face fe-
male genital mutilation.

For instance, in areas where female genital muti-

lation has been outlawed, there has been little ef-
fect on how often the procedure is practiced.
With the frequency of female genital mutilation
remaining about the same in outlawed areas, the
girls who undergo the procedure are more likely
to face more dangerous side effects and even
death as a result of the procedure. This is be-
cause, for fear of legal punishment, practitioners
mutilate girls in secrecy. Furthermore, if anything
goes wrong during the procedure, it is unlikely
that the victim will be taken to a medical facility,
as the parents and practitioner fear legal reper-
cussions.

That is why the best tools for fighting female geni-

tal mutilation are still based in education and ad-
vocacy, not law. Nonetheless, governments can-
not “officially” condone FGM by not creating anti-
FGM laws, thus creating a difficult dichotomy.