Four organisations call for action against FGM
Female genital mutilation (FGM) violates human rights and undermines the health and well-being of three million girls each year.
Advertisement
More than 130 million girls and women in the 29 countries in Africa and the Middle East where the practice is concentrated today have undergone some form of FGM – and the impact on their lives is enormous.
To commemorate the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation on February 6, four organisations have called on all health workers — from midwives and nurses to obstetricians and gynaecologists — to mobilise support for the fight against what they described as “this dangerous, deeply harmful practice”.
The organisations are: The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), International Confederation of Midwives and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.
They said the support of health workers in the global effort to end FGM was critical since as front-line health workers, they had inside knowledge of the social dynamics in the communities they served and the social norms that perpetuate FGM.
In a joint statement issued to mark the day, they maintained that health workers also had a deep understanding of the harmful consequences of this practice because they see the urinary, menstrual and obstetric complications — including haemorrhage, infection and death — caused by it, and also witness the emotional wounds FGM inflicts on its victims, and trauma, which often lasts a lifetime.
The statement pointed out that FGM is illegal in many countries, and medical providers who perform it in these places are breaking the law. But in every country, whether legal or not, medical providers who perform FGM are violating the fundamental rights of girls and women. They are also lending tacit approval to this wrongful practice and defying the most basic precept of medicine: Do no harm.
“Health professionals — especially front-line health workers — may often be under considerable pressure to engage in FGM. But with support to resist this pressure, they can become part of the solution.
Other Trending Stories
“So, first and foremost, we call on all health workers to abandon the practice of FGM — and to use their influence, not only in the communities where they work, but also with their colleagues to accelerate the abandonment of FGM everywhere. We also call on all health workers to protect the sexual and reproductive health of those who have already undergone FGM.”