Female Genital Mutilation: A Serious Violation of Human Rights

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) constitutes one of the most severe human rights violations. This practice often begins in childhood and affects hundreds of millions of girls and women worldwide. Despite efforts and the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM (February 6), this phenomenon is far from eradicated.

Understanding FGM: Forms and Scale

FGM encompasses all practices involving the total or partial removal of external female genitalia, or other non-therapeutic alterations. There are four main types, ranging from clitoridectomy to infibulation, also including pricking, piercing, incision, or cauterization.

It is estimated that today, at least 200 million women and girls live with the consequences of FGM, an underestimated figure as the practice is often clandestine. The majority of mutilations occur before age 15, sometimes even in early childhood.

Key Statistics:

• Approximately 200 million women and girls have undergone FGM in countries where the practice is accepted.
• Nearly 3 million girls are at risk of FGM annually.
• Most FGM is performed before the age of 15.
• FGM is identified in about thirty countries, mostly in Africa, but also in the Middle East and Asia (e.g., Indonesia, Iraq, Yemen).
• In countries like Somalia (98%), Guinea (96%), Egypt (91%), Mali (89%), Sudan (88%), and Sierra Leone (88%), over 80% of women and girls (aged 15-49) have undergone FGM.

Origins and Consequences of FGM

Contrary to popular belief, FGM is not linked to religion, but to ancient cultural traditions aimed at "preserving purity" of women for marriage. It is a form of control over the female body and a reflection of gender inequality.

The consequences are devastating: intense pain, severe infections (potentially fatal), cysts, complicated childbirth, urinary problems. Psychologically, anxiety, depression, and behavioral disorders are common. Socially, FGM marks the end of childhood, exposing girls to early marriage and marginalization. These traumas persist throughout life.

Who Practices FGM?

FGM is often performed by elderly women or authority figures within the community, sometimes even by healthcare professionals. Instruments are rudimentary and unsterilized, causing excruciating pain and high infection risks. It is a practice that often turns women into both victims and perpetrators within a difficult cycle to break.

Our Commitment Against FGM

At My Adoption Site, we fight to protect girls from this violence. Every action we take, every child we help find a home through adoption or support, contributes to freeing them from a destiny shaped by tradition and poverty. We work to:

• Prevent: by raising awareness in communities and offering alternatives to families.
• Support: by providing aid and assistance to victims.
• Advocate: by working for the respect of children's rights and the legal eradication of these practices.

By engaging with My Adoption Site, you help protect the childhood of these girls and offer them a future free from violence and exploitation.