Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Day: Raising Awareness and Stopping the Harm

February 6 is Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Day, which is set aside to make everyone aware of and promote the abolition of FGM's harmful and unfair practice.

Female circumcision, also known as FGM, is the partial or complete removal of the external female genitalia and is practised as a cultural tradition or religious ritual in some communities. Despite widespread condemnation from the international community, it is still practised in a number of countries, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

FGM has serious and long-term consequences, ranging from physical and emotional trauma to long-term health issues like chronic pain, infections, and complications during childbirth. Furthermore, it is in extreme violation of girls and women's basic human rights, including the right to bodily autonomy and freedom from violence and discrimination from anyone.

On this day, we must raise awareness about the dangers of FGM and work together to put an end to it once and for all. This can be accomplished via various strategies, starting with educating communities about the harm that this practice causes, then promoting alternative cultural or religious practices that do not involve FGM, and finally advocating for laws and policies that protect girls and women from this harmful tradition.

Furthermore, healthcare providers are critical in preventing and treating the consequences of FGM. They can educate patients about the risks of FGM and provide support and care to those affected by this heinous practice.

Let us use this day to spread this awareness message and take action to put a stop to FGM once and for all. We must all strive together to establish a society where girls and women are free from harmful and unfair practices and where their human rights are valued and safeguarded at all costs.