Introductory Post/Female Genital Mutilation

This is my first post on my blog, I will be looking at female issues in Africa. Women across the world are treated unfairly but more so in places that are underdeveloped like Africa.


Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a huge problem in Africa. First, what is female genital mutilation? By the World Health Organization, female genital mutilation is defined as; any procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. Importantly, female genital mutilation does not have any health befits to girls and women and it is a violation of the human rights of girls and women. 

Pictured different types of Female Genital Mutilation. 

source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_genital_mutilation

Why is female genital mutilation performed on so many females? 

It's performed because in Africa it is a social norm, FGM is usually considered a necessary part of raising a girl properly, so she will not perform any sexual acts until marriage. Female genital mutilation is also performed on females because the clitoris looks like a penis, and is removed to make girls and females seem more feminine and modest. The people performing FMG often believe that there is religious support, even though there is no religious script that prescribes the practice. There are religious leaders that do consider it irrelevant because it has nothing to do with religion and are against it because of peoples belief that female genital mutilation has anything to do with religion.

What are the health risks of female genital mutilation? 

Immediate complications include: 

• extreme pain 
• shock
• bleeding
• tetanus or bacterial infection 
• urine retention
• open sores in the genital region 
• injury to nearby genital tissue.

There are extreme long term complications to female genital mutilation: 

• recurrent bladder and urinary tract infections
• cysts
• infertility
• an increased risk of childbirth complications and newborn deaths 
• the need for later surgeries, if the woman has type III (pictured above) genital mutilation, that seals or narrows a vaginal opening needs to be cut open later to allow for sexual intercourse and childbirth. Most of the time it is stitched again several times, including after childbirth.

Opening and closing procedures, further increasing and repeated both immediate and long-term complications.

What is being done to stop female genital mutilation? 

Since 1997, organizations like WHO and UNICEF have been trying to stop female genital mutilation by strengthening the health care system in Africa, building evidence and knowledge and how to stop female genital mutilation for good.  

Sources/Bibliography 

"Female Genital Mutilation." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 July 2014. Web. 03 Oct. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_genital_mutilation>.

"Female Genital Mutilation." WHO. World Health Organization, Feb. 2014. Web. 03 Oct. 2014. <http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs241/en/>.