Although female genital mutilation (FGM) is internationally recognized as a human rights violation, at least 230 million girls and women are still affected by this practice. UNICEF is currently supporting programs to eliminate female genital mutilation once and for all in Sudan and Guinea.
The situation
Most girls are less than twelve years old when they are subjected to FGM, with many even below the age of five. Victims of FGM face devastating consequences: infections, incontinence and pain during sexual intercourse, as well as complications during childbirth, are among the most common issues suffered. Girls frequently bleed to death or die from infections. For generations, communities have continued this practice, which is still deeply rooted in the prevailing social norms. Sudan and Guinea are among the countries with the highest prevalence rates globally.
Over 86 percent* of girls and women in Sudan are circumcised, even though the practice has been illegal since 2020 and is punishable by three years' imprisonment
In spite of the fact that FGM has been prohibited by law in Guinea since 2016, as many as 95 percent* of the girls and women living in this country are circumcised.
The fear of social exclusion is often too great for parents to decide against having FGM performed on their daughters. This harmful practice therefore still continues in secrecy.
How your donation helps
The background and causes of female genital mutilation are complex and require a comprehensive approach at multiple levels. The focus falls on programs designed to overcome social behavioral norms. This is the way to ensure a successful long-term fight against FGM. UNICEF focuses on the following measures in Sudan and Guinea:
- Running information and awareness campaigns in schools, hospitals and the media
- Involving religious decision-makers, village elders and mayors
- Conducting targeted dialog at community level and involvement of men and boys in awareness-raising
- Teaching and training healthcare workers so that they can inform parents about the serious consequences of female genital mutilation
- Providing education on children’s rights
- Teaching girls and women to enable them to do awareness-raising work in their own communities
- Training criminal justice system workers to improve prosecution of FGM cases
You can help too!
By becoming a project sponsor, you can help to end the practice of female genital mutilation in Sudan and Guinea. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.