António Guterres said that the practice of genital cutting, which has been prevalent in some cultures for more than a thousand years, causes lifetime damage for both the physical and mental health of women and girls.
“Malicious Manifestation of Patriarchy”
“It’s one of the most vicious manifestations of patriarchy pervading our world,” he added.
With more than four million girls at risk from the harmful act of gender-based violence this year alone, urgent investment and action are needed to help the world reach out Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to eliminate female genital mutilation by 2030, UN chief said.
He added that the practice was “rooted in the Same-sex inequalities and complex social norms that limit women’s participation and leadership and limit their access to education and employment.
“This discrimination harms society as a wholeand we urgently need action by all of society to end this.”
As part of this, the UN Agency for Sexual and Reproductive Health UNFPAIs partnership this year with the UN Children’s Fund UNICEF on the elimination of FGM in a campaign on Partnering with men and boys to transform social and gender norms to end FGM.
The agencies are calling on the international community to advance male engagement on how harmful FGM is and to raise the voices of women and girls.
“Surge” of allies against FGM
Already ongoing initiatives of the UN and NGO partners have already “in a Rise in male allies such as religious and traditional leaders, health workers, law enforcement officials, civil society members and grassroots organizations‘, according to the UN, ‘and have led to remarkable achievements in protecting women and girls.’
The general secretary called on men and boys “everywhere join me, speak up and step forward to end female genital mutilation for the good of all.”
What is most needed is a Commitment to social changeand strong partnerships to end FGM once and for all, he forged.
The joint UNFPA-UNICEF program to accelerate the elimination of FGM has been running since 2008 and focuses on 17 countries in Africa and the Middle East, while also supporting regional and global initiatives.
A 10-year-old girl ran away from home after finding out her family was planning to train her as an FGM/C practitioner. She now lives in a UNICEF safe house in Port Loko, Sierra Leone and attends school.
support for millions
By supporting the program More than six million girls and women have received prevention, protection and care serviceswhile around 45 million people have publicly declared to abandon FGM practices.
According to UNFPA yearbook Report on FGM for 2021more than 532,000 girls were prevented from undergoing FGM.
However, UNFPA also estimates that by 2030 there could be as many as two million cases of FGM that would otherwise have been averted, due to the declining nature of FGM COVID-19 Pandemic.
It is still the case that around every fourth girl and every woman worldwide – or 52 million people – have experienced FGM performed by medical workerswith reference to “an alarming trend in the medicalization of female genital mutilation”, so a UNICEF Analysis in 2020.
