6 February 2012
The International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital
Mutilation is observed each year to raise awareness about this practice.
Female genital mutilation of any type has been recognized as a harmful
practice and violation of the human rights of girls and women. WHO is
committed to the elimination of female genital mutilation within a
generation and is focusing on advocacy, research and guidance for health
professionals and health systems.
Female genital mutilation (FGM) refers to all procedures
involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or
other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.
Female genital mutilation has no known health benefits. On the contrary,
it is associated with a series of short and long-term risks to both
physical, mental and sexual health and well-being.
FGM is affecting about 140 million girls and women, and more
than 3 million girls are at risk every year. A special focus for WHO
this year, is the troubling trend of health-care providers increasingly
being the ones performing female genital mutilation, and thereby
contributing to legitimize and maintain the practice.
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