On Women’s Day on March 8, the UN’s children’s organization, Unicef, announced new statistics on genital mutilation. New estimates show that over 230 million girls and women live with genital mutilation worldwide. This is 30 million more, a 15 per cent increase, since the estimate in 2016. Both population growth and the fact that more people survive the practice contribute to the increase. Secretary General of Unicef Norway, Maria Greenberg Bergheim. Photo: Carl J Asquini – We see a disturbing trend where more and more younger girls are exposed to genital mutilation, many before the age of five, says Unicef Secretary-General in Norway, Maria Greenberg Bergheim. Unicef points out that this helps to shorten the time you have to prevent genital mutilation. – Excruciating pain and fear – This causes the girls excruciating pain and fear, and even with their parents’ wishes and consent. We must strengthen our efforts to stop this harmful practice, states Bergheim. This photo taken in Gorontalo, Indonesia in February 2017 shows a little girl crying after being circumcised. Photo: Bay Ismoyo / AFP Genital mutilation is often abbreviated as FGM (female genital mutilation). In order to achieve the UN’s goal of abolishing FGM by 2030, Unicef reports that progress must be 27 times faster than it is today. – FGM damages girls’ bodies, weakens their future and puts their lives at risk, says the Norwegian Unicef chief. Also applies to many in Norway Aftenposten shared a case on Thursday about Norwegian women who have been genitally mutilated. They told me that doctor Mai Ziyada at the National Knowledge Center on Violence and Traumatic Stress (NKVTS) is working on a study on this which will be completed in 2025. In 2013, the NKVTS estimated that 17,300 girls and women in Norway had been exposed to genital mutilation before they came to the country. Ragnhild Elise Johansen, researcher at the section for trauma, disasters and forced migration at NKVTS. Photo: Kristoffer Sandven / NKVTS – We know that in the years since, a further 25,000 girls and women have come to Norway from high-risk countries, i.e. countries where genital mutilation is traditionally practiced, says researcher in medical anthropology and global health at NKVTS, R. Elise B. Johansen. She says they are working to find out more about this. – For the time being, we believe that it is girls in particular who are sent on holiday, or what is called “moral rehabilitation”, to their home country or a neighboring country that is particularly vulnerable, and that in that case the interventions take place there, says Johansen. High-risk countries According to Unicef, genital mutilation is most widespread in African countries, where there are 144 million cases. 80 million are in Asia and 6 million in the Middle East. According to the report, the practice is still widespread in 31 countries. In Somalia, 99 per cent of women between the ages of 15 and 49 are FGM, in Mali 89 per cent and in Sudan and Egypt 87 per cent, according to the report. Best friends Magfira Kemsur (left) and Mekiya Mude. Magfira found out that Mekiya was going to be subjected to FGM and reported it to authorities who topped it off. The picture was taken in Ethiopia in 2020. Photo: Mulugeta Ayene / UN0410891 / Unicef The 15 percent increase in Unicef’s figures shows that more girls and women live with mutilation. But at the same time, population growth in the areas where the practice is common means that it is not necessarily a larger proportion who are mutilated. According to Unicef, one of the reasons why more people survive FMG is access to antibiotics. The practice has not become more common worldwide, but the increase in the number of girls being born is increasing rapidly in countries where the practice is common. Unicef therefore believes that more targeted preventive measures are required in these areas. Health worker Doris Kemunto Onsomu in Kisii previously performed genital mutilation, and in connection with an interview in 2023 shows the equipment she used. FGM was banned in Kenya in 2011. Photo: Simon Maina / AFP The organization states that 40 percent of girls and women living with genital mutilation are in vulnerable and conflict-prone areas with strong population growth and health and education systems under pressure.
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