FGM: THE FINAL CUT

Midwives wait for the next girl to be brought in, Indonesia

Earlier this week it was decided in Parliament that extra measures would be taken in order to protect girls living in the UK (permanently and habitually) from Female Genital Mutilation. If a girl is suspected to be at risk, the government now have the authority to confiscate her passport so that she cannot be taken out of the country and subject her to mandatory medical examinations so that they can check if she has been a victim of the practice. These new measures were introduced as part of the amendments to the serious crime bill; parents now have a legal duty to protect their daughters from mutilation or they'll face prosecution. An estimated 137,000 women and girls in England and Wales have been affected by FGM, most before they reach puberty; and 65,000 are at risk this year. But with so many of our girls falling victim to infection, infertility and even death as a result of it each day, why do we know so little about FGM?

Female Genital Mutilation: the practice of partially or totally removing the external genitalia of girls and young women for non-medical reasons. Usually carried out between infancy and age 15.

Before I continue I think I should probably introduce you to the vagina, diagram form. Surprisingly, even after the whole 5 minutes in Biology spent reviewing sexual organs, I didn't know anything about my own kitty until I was about 14. There are four main types of FGM and in order to understand them, we must familiarise ourselves with the vagina:

1. Clitoridectomy - partially or totally removing the clitoris
2. Excision - partially or totally removing the clitoris and the inner labia, with or without the removal of the labia majora (fanny flaps)
3. Infibulation - narrowing of the vaginal opening by creating a seal, formed by cutting and re positioning the inner labia
4. Other harmful procedures including pricking, piercing, cutting, scraping and burning the genital area

FGM is a cruel procedure that violates human rights; no religious text explicitly requests it and it has no factual benefit or reasoning. Globally, around 130 million women and girls have undergone the procedure, the majority of whom were probably under the age of 15. Meaning that over a hundred million girls have have been subjected to infection, fear and trauma for no apparent reason. If FGM has no health or religious benefit, there must be a deeper reasoning - even deeper than the ignorant, "need to keep girls hygienic, chaste and faithful" argument. What is being discussed here is the damaging of a sexual organ, so it would be pointless if we didn't mention the obvious factor - sex. Whether the clitoris is being removed or the opening sewn up, every form of FGM damages the victim's future sex life and it would be ridiculous to ignore that this could be the initial reason for it all.

From the beginning of all time (like before porn and the morning after pill and flavoured condoms) there has been a brooding societal need to control women. Ever since Eve was framed in the Garden of Eden we have been under the watchful eye (and oppression) of mankind; with FGM being just one of the many repercussions of this (female control not Eve and the apple). FGM is usually performed on girls and women without their permission and probably against their will; it dehumanises girls from as young as fifteen months, simply to prevent them from being 'dirty' or 'promiscuous' women. The most popular belief regarding FGM is that only girls who have undergone the procedure are marriage material - marriage material as in your psychologically weak, submissive and sexually dysfunctional dream wife...

Although it is a physical procedure, FGM affects women both physically and psychologically, leaving victims with long term damage. Most of the time untrained women with non-sterile implements (scissors, razors, broken glass) are the ones who perform the procedure. This increases the chance of infection and hemorrhaging which, if left untreated, can lead to death. Women who have undergone the procedure are also twice as likely to die during childbirth and even more likely to give birth to a stillborn baby. The damage caused to the reproductive system by FGM means that there will be an elevated chance of complications during childbirth. Victims of FGM also tend to suffer from sexual dysfunction. This includes physical pain during and after sex, and suffering from psycho-sexual effects as a result of the trauma inflicted on the vagina. As if that wasn't enough, one study revealed that 46% of women who had been cut have developed an anxiety disorder - lifelong effects from an hour long procedure.

We rarely ever hear about it here in the West but FGM is a huge problem, with the 'prime time' for girls from the UK being the long summer break. Many countries around the world openly perform the procedure, Egypt (91%) and Somalia (97% even after it had been declared illegal) to name a few. Parents and professionals all around the globe are subjecting girls and young women to lifetimes of trauma and it must be stopped. Whether or not you are/will be a victim of FGM it is our responsibility to take action so that these injustices are prevented.

Posted by Melissa