International Day Against Female Genital Mutilation (6 February 2007)

Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM) refers to several types of deeply rooted traditional cutting operations performed on women and girls. Often part of fertility or coming-of-age rituals, FGM is sometimes justified as a way to ensure chastity and genital "purity." It is estimated that more than 130 million girls and women alive today have undergone FGM, mainly in Africa and some Middle Eastern countries, and two million girls a year are at risk of mutilation. Cases of FGM have been reported in Asian countries such as India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, and it is suspected that it is performed among some indigenous groups in Central and South America. FGM is also being practiced among immigrant communities in Europe, North America and Australia.

Since the late 1980s, opposition to FGM and efforts to combat the practice have increased. According to the Secretary-General’s in-depth study on violence against women, as of April 2006, fifteen of the 28 African States where FGM is prevalent made FGM an offence under criminal law. Of the nine States in Asia and the Arabian Peninsula where female genital mutilation/cutting is prevalent among certain groups, two have enacted legal measures prohibiting it. In addition, ten States in other parts of the world have enacted laws criminalizing the practice.

Source: UNIFEM.

News

International Day Against Female Genital Mutilation(6.02.07)
UNFPA warns of new trends in gemale genital mutilation(5.02.07)
UN Secretary-General's study urges action to stop violence against children(12.10.06)
UNICEF hails progress toward ending female genital cutting(6.02.06)
Victory for women's rights in Africa: African Protocol on Rights of Women enters into force(29.10.05)
Female genital mutilation must end, says UNICEF(7.02.05)
International Zero Tolerance to FGM Day: Effective measures needed to protect girls from female genital mutilation(6.02.04)

Selected learning materials

16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign: Bibliography and Resource List
Bibliography of resources which can be used in the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence campaign (between 25 November, International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women -- which marks the violent death of the three Mirabel sisters in the Dominican Republic in 1961 -- and 10 December, International Human Rights Day).

Empowering Young Women to Lead Change: a training manual
This training manual was developed by young women and contains modules on young women's leadership, economic justice, HIV and AIDS, human rights, peace, self esteem and body image, sexual and reproductive health and violence against women, including FGM.

Other education and training materials about FGM/C in HREA's on-line Library

Useful Links

16 Years of 16 Days: U.S. Groups Combat Gender Violence Worldwide (OneWorld US)

Stop Violence Against Women (Amnesty International)

International and regional standards on combating and preventing gender-based violence:
- UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, CEDAW (1979)
- UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (1993)
- Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence Against Women (1994)
- Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (2000)

End Violence Against Women

Violence Against Women Online Resources

United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

Other International Days