Madam, – International Women’s Day, which takes place tomorrow, is, according to the official website, “a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future”.
However, thanks to the continued adherence in some societies, mainly in Africa but also in Asia and some Arab countries, to the custom of female genital cutting (FGC) there are many millions of women and girls who have little cause to celebrate.
It is estimated that 140 million women and girls alive today have suffered FGC. About 2 million girls a year – or 5,500 a day – are put through this excruciating and dangerous procedure. Many bleed to death or die of infections from being cut with dirty utensils.
Those who survive the procedure itself face severe and lasting effects such as painful sexual intercourse, menstrual problems, infertility, HIV/Aids and birth complications such as obstetric fistula. FGC doubles the risk of a mother dying during childbirth, and makes it three or four times more likely that her child will be stillborn.
FGC predates both Islam and Christianity and is a cultural rather than a religious practice. Reasons for it include control of female sexuality, a perception that female genitalia are unhygienic and unsightly and hence that uncut women are impure.
Plan works alongside local grassroots organisations in Guinea, West Africa and elsewhere to change public attitudes to FGC by providing local communities with all the education and reasons they need to abandon this custom. After just two years this approach has borne fruit in that two villages have declared themselves to be against FGC.
This may be a small achievement, given the scale of the problem, but I suggest that it is only through work at grassroots level that this dreadful and outmoded practice can be stamped out.I look forward to the day when women throughout the world can celebrate International Women’s day in a world free of FGC. – Yours, etc,