End Female Genital Mutilation Now campaign comes to Davos

More than three million girls’ genitals are forcibly cut every year and approximately 140 million women are living with mutilated genitals. Maternal mortality and infection are just two of the many health effects they suffer.

This issue of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) was brought to the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting by Julia Lalla-Maharajh who runs the campaign www.endfgmnow.org. Julia entered her cause into a competition run by the Forum and YouTube, The Davos Debates, to find a person with a cause worthy of the world's attention. Her FGM cause won the global vote.

“In tackling FGM, we can’t go in as an outsider and tell people what to do,” Julia said in the Davos session. “We need to listen to the community and dialogue with them about why they practice it, their perceptions and then share the facts to educate them – especially the health impacts.”

Ann Veneman, the executive director of UNICEF noted that 4,000 communities in Senegal have banned genital cutting as a result of community discussions starting with understanding the health impacts.

“There are 28 countries in Africa that practice female genital cutting but 19 of those have laws criminalizing it. And so it’s going to take a global campaign to stop it,” said Kathy Bushkin Calvin, CEO, United Nations Foundation.

Everyone agreed with Larry Cox, Executive Director, Amnesty International, that FGM is a human rights issue that both females and males need to fight, to protect the rights of the girl child.

They urge you, the global community, to do your bit to end FGM. Watch Julia’s pitch to the Davos Debates, support organizations like Tostan, lobby your MP. International Anti-FGM Day is on 6 February, a week from now. What do you want to do to help stop FGM now?

Comments

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I knew little about the topic but now know it is an issue that is not widely acknowledged or talked about. I understand, as an 'outsider' my views can be very judgemental however it is a very controversial issue. Should human rights override traditional cultural rites that have existed for centuries?

[Lily]

Yeah it is world-wide and like other things that get banned done also behind closed doors. Its just so horribly painful.... no anasthetics... creating wounds and some people don't even survive it?? Surely cultures would have to say that there was something wrong with their custom if people die?

[Rebecca]

The fact FGM is a practice which directly harms children and women for non medical reasons makes me sick. Whatever ever happened to women's rights? I would like to see an end to this practice that would surely be spreading the world as people migrate into different countries....

[Lily]

Studying FGM atm, its truly a horrible practice which violates so many human rights and regardless of it being a cultural custom, it causes harm to people, often death and discriminates against women, i believe HUMAN RIGHTS ARE THE BASIS FOR LIVING, everything extends off that, so FGM in my opinion is Horse S#!t, it should be stopped.

[Anna]

This is a great blog on a very interesting topic! I am currently in the middle of a group assignment for University on FGM. Before starting the assignment, I knew little about the topic but now know it is an issue that is not widely acknowledged or talked about. I understand, as an 'outsider' my views can be very judgemental however it is a very controversial issue. Should human rights override traditional cultural rites that have existed for centuries?

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what are their donging?

[Julia Lalla-Maharajh]

Thanks so much for posting this blog. Just wanted to point out that there are many many more organisations than just Tostan supporting FGM. I urge anyone to search in their local area to discover which one is the best.

I volunteer with www.forwarduk.org.uk doing great work in the UK and in various African communities.

Kind regards