International Day Of Zero Tolerance To FGM
International Day Of Zero Tolerance To Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
February 6, 2017
2017 Theme: “Building a solid and interactive bridge between Africa and the world to accelerate ending FGM by 2030.”
FGM is a violation of the human rights of girls and women.
International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a UN-sponsored awareness day which is observed on February 6 every year around the world since 2003. Various activities and events are held to promote the UN’s campaign to raise awareness and educate people about the dangers and consequences of FGM.
Female genital mutilation (FGM) a procedure that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons and is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 120 to 140 million women have been subject to FGM over the years and currently at least 3 million girls are at risk each year.
FACTS
Globally, it is estimated that at least 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone some form of FGM.
Countries with the highest prevalence among girls and women aged 15 to 49 are Somalia 98 per cent, Guinea 97 per cent and Djibouti 93 per cent.
FGM is mostly carried out on young girls sometime between infancy and age 15.
FGM has no health benefits, and it harms girls and women in many ways. It interferes with the natural functions of girls’ and women’s bodies.
Procedures can cause severe bleeding and problems urinating, and later cysts, infections, as well as complications in childbirth and increased risk of newborn deaths.
With the support of UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) and other UN agencies, several countries have passed legislation banning FGM and developed national policies to achieve its abandonment.
Source: www.un.org / www.en.wikipedia.org
Image Credit: www.windhoek.sites.unicnetwork.org
