Selected Factors Leading to the Transmission of Female Genital Mutilation Across Generations : Quantitative Analysis for Six African Countries
The attention given to the issue of female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) as a harmful practice has been growing in recent years. Yet, while ending female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C, both terminologies are used in the literature) i...
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| Language: | English |
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World Bank, Washington, DC
2018
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/380201517582297269/Ending-violence-against-women-and-girls-selected-factors-leading-to-the-transmission-of-female-genital-mutilation-across-generations-quantitative-analysis-for-six-African-countries http://hdl.handle.net/10986/29331 |
| Summary: | The attention given to the issue of
female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) as a harmful
practice has been growing in recent years. Yet, while ending
female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C, both
terminologies are used in the literature) is a target under
the Sustainable Development Goals, the practice remains
common. FGM/C is practiced not only in Africa, which is the
region on which this note focuses, but also in other regions
of the world and even in high income countries with diaspora
from high FGM/C prevalence countries. While the prevalence
of the practice is declining, it remains high in some
countries. FGM/C is known to have potentially life
threatening health consequences for girls, especially when
the cutting is severe. While there can be significant health
risks in all forms of FGM/C, especially in cases of
infibulation, which can lead to the removal of virtually all
external sexual organs, the practice has been linked to
infections, infertility, and childbirth complications, among
others. Cases of girls dying after being cut have been
documented in the media. The practice may also affect the
children of girls being cut, in part due to complications at
birth. More generally, in terms of its drivers and other
consequences, the practice is related to deep-seated
patterns of gender inequality and gender-based violence. |
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