We are going to share today is what national day? According to WHO estimates, between 130 and 140 million women have undergone some form of International Day Against Female Genital Mutilation.
Côte d’Ivoire is one of the African countries most affected by the practice of female circumcision and an estimated 36% of women are circumcised in the country. To say that the practice persists is therefore a euphemism.
Female genital mutilation, including excision, encompasses a range of practices that result in partial or total ablation or alteration of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons.
3 million girls exposed to genital mutilation every year
The operation is usually practiced on little girls and sometimes on women about to marry, pregnant with their first child or who have just given birth.
Often practiced by traditional practitioners like excisers and midwives, the operation is done without anesthesia with scissors, razor blades or knives. Intervention is always traumatic and can lead to complications such as pain, shock and even death.
“FGC is a fundamental violation of human rights and, in the absence of any medical necessity, exposes girls and women to health risks and consequences that endanger their lives and well-being. ” “said Sylvie Dossou, the UNICEF representative in Côte d’Ivoire.
