Female Genital Mutilation: Concept And Historic Move By Sudan To Ban FGM

Female Genital Mutilation: Concept And Historic Move By Sudan To Ban FGM Is A Step Towards Protecting Women Rights

Janvi Sukhija, JIMS School of Law, Greater Noida

INTRODUCTION

Female Genital Mutilation is a practice that removes female genital organs by different ways and for different reasons. This practice has been done all over the world but it is predominant in 30 countries out of which 27 are African countries. This is a non medical practice and morally wrong. This has been in practice till now because they considered it as a ritual which has to be done. More than 200 million girls have been subjected to this practice till yet. Normally, girls at the younger age become the victim of FGM. In some countries, this practice is done even with the girls under 5 years of age. This practice is done at the younger age because it is being considered as a prerequisite for marriage. People who are familiar to this practice introduce it as a ritual cutting. The most appalling factor is that it is mostly women who forced another woman to go through this process just because it was done to their mother as well which is why they continue this practice as a rite of passage or coming of age ritual. Nonetheless, this practice has not been mentioned in any holy book which confirms that this is not a religious practice.

As this practice is non medical, can cause severe side effects as well as short term and long term effects like shock, death, mental stress, complications in pregnancy in future. Apart from this, this has zero health benefits and it is only done to the girls because of various disbelieves. Sudan is one of those countries where this practice is done overwhelmingly and without the girl’s consent. Girls at younger age who doesn’t even know about the outer world yet are vulnerable enough that they can get manipulated by the older women in their house. 90% girls in the modern generation want this practice to end sooner. Most of them could not stand for themselves as they are helpless because of their elders while there are some girls who came out and took a stand for every girl who had to gone through this process, and demanded protection for women and equality as given to men.