Today,
6th February 2012 marks the ninth annual International Day of Zero
Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C). It is estimated that
100 to 140 million women around the world have undergone this brutal procedure
and three million girls are at risk every year. We must continue to act to end
this affront to women’s equality and the rights and dignity of women and girls.
No
religion mandates this procedure, though it occurs across cultures, religions,
and continents. It is performed on girls in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
Even in the United States we are fighting this practice. FGM/C became a federal
crime in the United States in 1997, but the procedure persists in some
communities. The U.S. Government is working with practitioners in the health
and legal community to educate groups about the negative consequences of FGM/C.
Over
the years, community advocates have found that when men come to understand the
physical and psychological trauma FGM/C causes, they often become effective
activists for eradication, including fathers who refuse to allow their
daughters to be subject to the procedure. Communities must act collectively to
abandon the practice, so that girls and their families who opt out do not
become social outcasts. This approach has led around 6,000 communities across
Africa to abandon the practice, usually through a public declaration.
Communities working together can ensure stronger, healthier futures for girls
and young women.
Every
government has an obligation to protect its citizens from such abuse. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated; "As we
commemorate International Day of Zero Tolerance and remember those who have
been harmed, we reaffirm our commitment to overturning deeply entrenched social
norms and abolishing this practice. All women and girls, no matter where they
are born or what culture they are raised in, deserve the opportunity to realize
their potential".
Source:
U.S State Department
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