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Female Genital Mutilation Still Prevalent in West Africa

Annika Hammerschlag

   DAKAR, SENEGAL - February 6 is the International Day of Zero Tolerance
   for Female Genital Mutilation. The practice, also known as female
   circumcision or cutting, poses serious health risks but remains common
   in many countries, particularly in West Africa.

   More than 200 million women and girls who are alive today have been
   cut, according to the World Health Organization, putting them in danger
   of excessive bleeding, infection and death.

   As circumcised girls enter adulthood, they are at risk of chronic
   problems such as mental health disorders and pain during urination or
   sex. FGM also may cause life-threatening complications during
   childbirth.

   Despite these risks, the practice has continued largely in the name of
   culture and tradition. Some communities believe FGM helps prevent
   premarital sex and helps ensure a wife's fidelity by reducing her
   libido.

   FGM is practiced in 30 countries throughout Africa, the Middle East and
   Asia, as well as among migrants from those regions.

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