Today, March 8, instead of good news, unfortunately, UNICEF announces that over 230 million girls and women have undergone various practices of genital mutilation. In the last 8 years, more than 30 million people have undergone this procedure, which coincides with the partial or complete removal of the external genitalia, UNICEF reports.
Although the percentage of women and girls who have experienced such mutilation is decreasing, efforts to eradicate this procedure are still slow, in relation to the rapid growth of the population.
"The practice of genital mutilation among girls and women is falling, but not at the right pace," the report says.
The practice of genital mutilation is (wrongly) thought to control women's sexuality and has multiple effects, from massive bleeding to death. Girls and women are victims of this procedure, regardless of their age. The practice can be performed from birth to adulthood.
Some of the problems that this procedure brings are:
Urinary tract infections
Menstrual cycle problems
Decreased sexual satisfaction
Complications during the birth process
PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)
Depression
Lower self-esteem
The continent where this procedure is carried out the most is Africa, where about 144 million girls and women are forced to undergo genital mutilation. Then, it is followed by Asia and the Middle East. In Asia, about 80 million women and girls are victims of this practice and in the Middle East, 6 million. Somalia tops the list and in 99% of cases, girls and women between the ages of 15-49 have undergone such a procedure.
Even from Ethiopia, Nigeria and Sudan, a high number of use of this practice is reported, and UNICEF has called for progress to be accelerated 10-fold in some countries.
