Is female circumcision still practiced in Africa?
More than 200 million girls and women alive today have been cut in 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where FGM is concentrated (1). FGM is mostly carried out on young girls between infancy and age 15. FGM is a violation of the human rights of girls and women.
What is female circumcision in Ethiopia?
Abstract. PIP: The practices of female circumcision and infibulation in Ethiopia are discussed. Circumcision consists of excision of the clitoris, in some cases including the labia minorae. The operation is performed by a skilled woman anywhere from shortly after birth to the time of marriage, depending on the tribe.
What is Maasai female circumcision?
The type of circumcision that the Maasai perform is called clitoridectomy, in which the entire clitoris or part of the clitoris, and at times the adjacent labia, is removed. The primary reason female circumcision is practiced among the Maasai is that it is considered a rite of passage.
When did FGM start in Africa?
Some researchers have traced the practice to Egypt in the fifth-century BC and argue that the geographical distribution of FGM suggests that it originated on the west coast of the Red Sea. Egyptian mummies show women infibulated and this is supported by a Greek papyrus in the British Museum dated 163 BC.
What is clitoridectomy Kenya?
Type I (commonly referred to as clitoridectomy), Type II (commonly referred to as excision) and Type III (commonly referred to as infibulation) are the forms of female genital mutilation (FGM) or female genital cutting (FGC) practiced to varying degrees in Kenya. Type I and Type II are the most common.
Which African countries practice FGM?
In Africa, FGM is known to be practiced among certain communities in 29 countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria.
What religion practices FGM?
FGM is practised predominantly within certain Muslim societies, but it also exists within some adjacent Christian and animist groups. The practice isn’t required by most forms of Islam, and fatwas have been issued forbidding FGM, favouring it, or leaving the decision to parents but advising against it.
Does touching a girl’s breasts make them grow?
No, it’s not true. Touching or massaging breasts does not make them grow. Others are myths — some girls who want smaller breasts think that sleeping in a bra or wearing a bra that’s too small can keep breasts from growing, but that’s also not true. In reality, genes and hormones determine breast growth.