Int'l Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) - WHO Press Briefing (Excerpt)

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On International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that FGM includes procedures that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.
Speaking to journalists at the United Nations in Geneva today (06 Feb), WHO’s spokesperson Fadela Chaib said “Female Genital Mutilation has no health benefits, and it harms girls and women in many ways. Procedures can cause severe bleeding and problems urinating, and later infections, as well as complications in childbirth and increased risk of newborn deaths.”
According to WHO, over 200 million women and girls alive today have been cut in 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where FGM is concentrated.
Fadela Chaib said “FGM is mostly carried out on young girls between infancy and age of 15. FGM is clearly a violation of the human rights of girls and women.”
The UN estimates that without concerted, accelerated action, a further 68 million girls could be subjected to this harmful practice by 2030.
She noted “We are equipping health care providers with the information and skills to provide high-quality medical care and counselling to girls and women who have been subjected to Female Genital Mutilation.”
WHO is working to eliminate myths and misconceptions about FGM to stop the perpetuation of this harmful practice.
Chaib said “we are working a lot at a community level to dismiss some of the myths around this practice.”
She clarified that “FGM is not mentioned in any religious texts, for example in the Koran or the Bible. So, there is no religious roots to this practice. So we are trying to develop this message to communities. For example, another myth, that only girls who undergo Female Genital Mutilation can enter womanhood and be considered respectable. This is really not the case. Cultural norms are changing and many communities have ‘rites de passage’ or ‘rites of passage’ into womanhood that do not involve Female Genital Mutilation.”
WHO also insists that there is no evidence that FGM improves fertility, in fact complications of FGM can negatively impact fertility.
Chaib said “WHO is completely against any health worker helping to do this practice. FGM is a harmful practice and may lead to physical, mental and sexual health complications, regardless of who performs it.”