United Nations: Men And Boys To Play Active Role To End FGM

The International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation is February 6. This day marks the United Nations' attempt to increase and direct efforts towards ending female genital mutilation. FGM is any procedure that alters or injures the female genitalia, even if it's not for medical reasons. FGM is more than a temporary procedure that causes pain or suffering. FGM is a serious violation of the human rights of girls and women. A girl listens in on the meeting of an antifemale Genital Mutilation (FGM), women's group. It was held in Alakas village bordering with Kenya and northeast Uganda on January 31st, 2018. FGM is a life-threatening procedure in which a woman's external male genitalia is removed. The UN estimates that more than 200 million girls and their mothers have been subject to it. (Photo credit: YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/Getty Images.Getty Nearly one in four girls and women in the world have experienced FGM. This is a worrying trend that has seen FGM being medicalized. There are 4.32million girls in the world at risk of FGM. FGM is not only a problem in Africa, but it is also widespread and practiced in Latin America and Asia. Immigrants living in Australia, North America, Australia, and Western Europe continue to practice female genital mutilation. There have been some positive developments in recent years. According to the United Nations Population Fund, 'as the result of community-led involvement through education, dialogue, and consensus-building, more than 45 millions people in 34,659 villages have publicly declared that they are abandoning [FGM]," Established community-based surveillance mechanisms prevented 532,158 girls from being subject to the practice. COVID-19, however, is believed to have profound impacts on efforts to end FGM. UNFPA expects that there will be a 1/3 decrease in FGM efforts by 2030. Over the next decade, COVID-19-related interruptions in prevention programs will result in 2,000,000 FGM cases that could otherwise have been avoided. There is more to be done to stop FGM and to address COVID-19-related problems. FGM can have long-lasting consequences for girls, which could have been avoided. Short-term complications include severe pain, shock and excessive bleeding. UNFPA's Joint Program on Eliminating Female Genital Mutilation: Delivering The Global Promise in 2023 launched the "Partnership With Men and Boys to Transform Social and Gender Norms to End FGM." UNFPA/UNICEF appeal to the world to work with men and women to end FGM and encourage their participation. According to the United Nations, FGM is being opposed by both men and women in Eritrea and other countries like Ethiopia, Guinea, Sudan, and Guinea. UNFPA/UNICEF work with other organizations to partner with boys and men around the globe and encourage them to be active participants. They report that these initiatives have led to a surge in male allies. Both men and boys need to play their part in ending FGM. This includes religious and traditional leaders as well as health workers, civil society members, and law enforcement officials. FGM elimination is a collective effort that will require all communities to work together.