Female Genital Mutilation is world’s dark secret

Female Genital Mutilation is a ritual where the genital organs of 6 and 7-year-old girls are cut off by mid-wives and traditional practitioners to maintain the 'purity' of a female body.

The act of genital mutilation should have been history in the modern world by now. But unfortunately, it isn't. Today, 6th January, is observed as the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation because it is far from over. Also, if you thought that this heinous act is committed in some far flung, dark parts of the globe, it isn't. Even as you read this, chances are a young Indian girl is shrieking in pain as her genital is being sliced off somewhere in the country.

Every year, the United Nations observes February 6 as the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation. The day is organised to combat the horrific practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) and provides a platform for organisations, victims, and governments to take a stand against the practice.

This year, the theme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation is "Partnership with Men and Boys to Transform Social and Gender Norms to End FGM".

What is 'Female Genital Mutilation'?

World Health Organisation (WHO) defines FGM as "all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injuries to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons."

Female Genital Mutilation, also known as female genital cutting or 'khatna' as the Bohra community calls it, is part of a ritual where the genital organs of six and seven-year-old girls are cut off by mid-wives and traditional practitioners. Using unsafe, unhygienic methods and with unreasonable, inhuman logics, the practice is carried out in various parts of the world, including in India.

The WHO warns that more than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone some form of female genital mutilation in 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where FGM is practiced. Practiced mostly on girls between infancy and age 15, if the current trend continues, 15 million additional girls between ages 15 and 19 will be subjected to it by 2030, according to a UN report.

There are four types of FGM:

Type I - Partial or complete removal of the clitoris or clitoral hood.
Type II - Partial or complete removal of inner and/or outer labia including pricking/piercing.
Type III - Narrowing of vaginal opening by creating a covering seal.
Type IV - All other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes.

Why is it done?

The practice of Female Genital Mutilation has been around for thousands of years and the reason behind why it is performed varies from region to region and culture to culture. FGM is often considered a necessary part of "raising a girl" and considered a coming-of-age ritual, and a way to prepare her for adulthood and marriage. This can include controlling her sexuality to promote premarital virginity and marital fidelity.

According to a WHO report, "Some people believe that the practice has religious support, although no religious scripts prescribe the practice. Religious leaders take varying positions with regard to FGM, with some contributing to its abandonment."

Harmful effects of this heinous act

Even as women from older generations have been the victims of the harmful effects of female mutilation, the act still remains in practice and ironically, the victims are the ones to put it to practice.

From total removal of the clitoral glans to pricking, piercing or cauterizing the genital area, the act clearly has no benefits and just many harms. It can lead to immediate effects like severe pain, excessive bleeding, infections and shock. The long-term impact of the FGM are many, besides the huge psychological trauma these females undergo and leave them scarred for the rest of their lives.

Many vaginal and urinary problems, need for surgeries in later years, complications in menstruation are some of the problems these women go through.

FGM is India's dark secret too

While there are no official data that tell us the exact number of women who have been subjected to FGM or are at risk of it, there are reports that Type I and Type IV procedures of FGM are prevalent amongst the Bohra sect of Shia Muslims, primarily in the States of Maharashtra, Kerala, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

In a report published in The Guardian in 2018, it referred to survey conducted by WeSpeakOut against FGM, a coalition of Bohra women. Out of the 83 females surveyed, 75 percent said that they had suffered some form of FGM, popularly known as 'khatna' or 'khadf' in the community. They revealed that Mullanis or traditional cutters perform the ritual cutting that marks the coming-of-age ritual.

As of now, since the Indian Penal Code (IPC) does not recognise FGM as a crime, the complaints are filed under Section 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt) which entails imprisonment of up to 10 years.