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Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices

Affecting the Health of Women and Children

Female Genital Mutilation

What is Female Genital Mutilation? 

Types of Female Genital Mutilation.

What are the consequences of Female Genital Mutilation?

The reasons advanced for the persistence of Female Genital Mutilation.

Useful information about Female Genital Mutilation.

What is Female Genital Mutilation?

Female genital mutilation comprises all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs whether for cultural or other non-therapeutic reasons.

Types of Female Genital Mutilation

 

 

 

Type I 

CLITORIDECTOMY: removal of part or all of the clitoris

 

 

 

 

Type II

EXCISION: removal of the clitoris with partial or total removal of the small labium

 

 

 

 

 

 

Type III

INFIBULATION: removal of part or all or the external genitalia, including the clitoris

 

 

Type IV            

includes a variety of procedures: pricking, piercing or incision of the clitoris and/ or labia; stretching of the clitoris and/ or labia; cauterisation by burning the clitoris and surrounding tissue, scraping of tissue surrounding the vaginal orifice or cutting of the vagina; introduction of corrosive substances or herbs into the vagina.

What are the consequences of Female Genital Mutilation?

Short Term complications:

Traditional practitioners often perform the procedure in poor sanitary conditions using razor blades, knives or bits of glass to cut the delicate tissue. Lack of hygiene leads to severe infections and septicaemia and the pain and trauma can cause severe shock. Other immediate complications are tetanus or sepsis, urine retention, ulceration of the genital region and injury to adjacent tissues. Haemorrhage and severe bleeding can result in death.

 

Long term complications:

In the longer term many women experience obstetric, sexual and psychological problems. A number of serious health outcomes have been identified in medical reports: obstetric complications (antenatal, labour delivery, pregnancy outcomes, maternal and neonatal mortality); gynecological problems; psychosexual difficulties including infertility and also psychological morbidity. If women and girls do not receive appropriate health, psychological and emotional care these health impacts are further complicated. Many women might not be aware that the health problems they experience later in life are related to FGM and therefore they go unreported.

The reasons advanced for the persistence of Female Genital Mutilation

The reasons for the continuation of FGM vary according to the socio-cultural context where it exists. 

The major justifications are:

  • Moral or religious
  • Virginity, bride price and family honour
  • Anatomic/aesthetic
  • Need for social integration
  • Prevent child mortality
  • Hygiene 

Useful information about FGM

Female Genital Mutilation and Obstetric Outcome: WHO collaborative prospective study in six African countries
The study is scientific evidence showing the negative effects of FGM on child delivery.

June, 2006

http://www.who.int/reproductive-health/fgm/


RIGHTS-CAMEROON:
Finally, a Law Against Female Genital Mutilation?
Sylvestre Tetchiada

YAOUNDE, June 29 (IPS) - Recently, Cameroon's female legislators could be found under a tree in the garden of the country's parliament, listening to Hannah Kwenti: 17, the mother of a five-month-old baby girl -- and a victim of female genital mutilation (FGM).

June, 2006

http://ipsnews.net/africa/nota.asp?idnews=33811


Broken bodies broken dreams: violence against women exposed offers a powerful testimony of the different types of gender-based violence experienced by women and girls worldwide throughout their lives, through the use of photographs, individual case studies and illustrative text. The publication is part of OCHA/IRIN's ongoing campaign to highlight the issues of violence against women through film, text and photography.

This book serves to raise awareness and provoke action in addressing the causes of gender-based violence, as well as assisting and defending the millions of women targeted by violence. These are our sisters, our mothers, our daughters.■ Jan Egeland, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.

November, 2005

http://www.irinnews.org/broken-bodies/default.asp






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