Human rights
Cruel practice: genital mutilation of millions of women
“Female genital mutilation harms girls’ bodies, clouds their future and endangers their lives” Photo
© Quinn Neely/Plan International/dpa
The number of girls and women having their genitals cut is increasing. But progress is also being made.
More than 230 million girls and According to estimates by the UN children’s fund Unicef, women worldwide have suffered genital mutilation.
The number of women currently living who have had their genitals cut has increased by 15 percent, said Unicef in New York. The organization last published data on the practice, which is banned in several countries, six years ago. At that time it was assumed that around 200 million people would be affected.
The fight against genital mutilation is too slow
According to Unicef, the figures published on International Women’s Day show that the fight against female genital mutilation is progressing too slowly. It lags behind population growth, especially in countries where the tradition is practiced. Female genital mutilation is most widespread in African countries, where 144 million cases have been recorded. There are 80 million cases in Asian countries and six million in the Middle East. The organization also assumes there are unreported cases in other parts of the world.
“Female genital mutilation harms girls’ bodies, tarnishes their futures and endangers their lives,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. The practice violates the human rights of girls and women and can cause lasting physical and psychological damage, the report says. In addition, more and more young girls are being affected, many before their fifth birthday, said Russell. “This makes the window of opportunity for intervention even smaller.”
Progress in Kenya, Sierra Leone and Egypt
According to Unicef, the educational and health work of aid organizations is made more difficult by conflicts in the affected countries as well as climate extremes, diseases and food insecurity. This is the case, for example, in countries such as Somalia, Sudan and Ethiopia. But progress has also been made, for example in Kenya, Sierra Leone and Egypt, where the numbers have fallen sharply in some cases. To fully combat female genital mutilation, leaders must redouble their efforts to end discrimination and inequality between the sexes, Unicef said.