Combating FGM/FGC
Between 1997- 2000, Rights and Humanity) undertook a global survey to identify legal and other strategies to combat female genital cutting (FGC) and to review governmental, UN and NGO initiatives. Our research was commissioned by the UK Government’s Department for International Development (DFID). The results were compiled into two comprehensive reports.
Female genital cutting (FGC) is a deeply rooted cultural practice, harmful to the health of women and girls. Since FGC is practised when the girls are young, they are unable to give their informed consent.
Definition of FGC Adopted by UN
“all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs whether for cultural or any other non-therapeutic reasons.”
WHO estimates that:
- between 100 - 140 million girls and women worldwide have undergone FGC
- a further two million girls are at risk of undergoing some form of the procedure every year
The Need to Identify Effective Strategies
The World Health Organization (WHO) had recognised that FGC would inevitably continue unless effective interventions were found to convince communities to abandon the practice. Many campaigners, as well as development and health workers from the communities in which FGC was traditionally practiced, recognised the need for change, but were not sure know how to achieve such an extensive social transformation.
Background Research
Between 1997 and 2000, Rights and Humanity carried out exhaustive research for DFID’s Health and Population Division. The study reviewed the legal and other strategies introduced to combat FGC around the world and the organisations involved in combating FGC. We met with key agencies, including WHO and the main NGOs involved in combating FGC. We also undertook a literature review of books and articles on strategies to combat FGC.
Rights and Humanity identified two types of law:
- criminal law aimed at punishing perpetrators, and
- protective law, which gave authorities the power to intervene to prevent FGC and protect the child. The ultimate sanction under such protective law was often to take the child away from her family or others placing her at risk.
Our research showed that in African countries, criminal law was more commonly used to combat FGC than protective law, although the former’s success rate was not high.
Advocacy Tools and Reports
States had committed themselves to preventing FGC at both the UN International Conference on Population and Development, Cairo, 1994, and the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 1995. Yet attempts to change this deeply-rooted traditional practice were often met with arguments based on the respect for culture and traditions.
It was sometimes incorrectly argued that since FGC was a cultural practice, it fell within the remit of cultural rights, implying that people have a “right” to practice FGC. We developed advocacy tools based on human rights law that countered this argument. On the contrary, women and girls have the rights to physical integrity, to the highest attainable standard of health and the right to life.
Our Research Report was in two volumes:
A compilation of the legal and other strategies being utilized around the world
an overview of the work of UN, governmental and civil society organisations involved in combating FGC.
See also: