Explained: How International Human Rights Law Sees Female Genital Mutilation

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a customary ritual in which the mutilation of female genitalia is done for non-medical purposes. Some people consider it a rite of passage into femininity, while others believe it is a tactic to stifle a woman's sexuality. There is also a set of people who see it as an effort to preserve the family's honor given that it supposedly resides in a woman's vagina.

According to the World Health Organisation, at least 30 million girls are at risk for genital mutilation annually, and around 200 million women have had some form of genital cutting. Women between the ages of 15-49 usually have to undergo this practice. Although this practice is not linked to any particular faith, it is most common among Jewish, Muslim, and Christian groups, and is prevalent in Africa, India, the Middle East, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and North America.

The different ways in which Female Genital Mutilation is done are¨C

Clitoridectomy: Removal of clitoris

Excision: Removal of the clitoris and labia

Infibulation: Narrowing of the vaginal opening by stitching

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Other ways like pricking, stretching, scraping, or even mutilating parts by using acid.

FGM causes the vagina owners a trauma that lasts a lifetime. It causes them to experience severe bleeding, infections, difficulty urinating, consummating, menstruation, giving birth, and, in some circumstances, can even lead to death.

People who support this practice point to its roots in customs, traditions, and faiths, while others who oppose it focus on the harmful health effects it has on girls and women, the violation of women's human rights and the fact that it is an example of violence against women.

The practice has been denounced and removed by activists and international governmental organizations. Amnesty International and other international organisations have argued that the FGM is one of several traditional practises that oppress women and violate their human rights.

FGM is just one instance of the world imposing its will on the bodies of women. Breast ironing, in which the breasts of adolescent girls are flattened, is another such harmful practice. To try and make the developing breasts of young girls as old as eight years vanish, this involves pounding and massaging them with hot things. Another is the virginity test, also known as the "two-finger test," which mostly women of color undergo. To ascertain whether a girl or woman is a virgin, a check for the existence of an intact hymen is performed. Even now, this regressive ceremony is performed in Indonesia, Afghanistan, South Africa, and India.

Female Genital Mutilation is a complex issue that intersects racial and gendered power structures. It raises concerns about cultural settings and the best ways to cope with them, challenging international standards based on individual human rights. It addresses concerns such as women's health education, violence against women, and other related issues, as well as the question of how far the international community can go to safeguard the rights of women and girls.

Female genital mutilation violates various recognized human rights, which are protected by international and regional conventions, as listed below.

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Right to health

FGM causes serious health issues which breach the following:

1. Article (12) (1) of the International Covenant of Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights guarantees the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.

Child Rights

Most girls undergo FGM before 15 years of age.

1. Article 16 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child prohibits any interference with the privacy of children

2. Article 24(3) urges states to adopt measures to abolish traditional practices prejudicial to the health of children.

Right to Life & Physical Integrity

FGM violates Article 9 (1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) which guarantees the right to liberty and security of a person.

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Right of women to be free from discrimination

The practice is a direct result of gender inequality that is ingrained in social, economic, and political systems. It stands for how society controls women. Hence, it breaches the following:

1. Article 1 of the Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women

2. Article 2 of the Convention urges states to fight discrimination.

Right to be Free from Torture

FGM "may" also constitute torture, which is against the law according to Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) because the threshold for torture is high according to the Convention Against Torture. This fact may be problematic because not all FGM procedures fall within the legal definition of torture.

The violations of these international human rights are especially serious because Female Genital Mutilation unquestionably worsens gender inequality and directly threatens girls and women's bodily integrity. Though not sufficient, the recognition of the violations has proved to be a crucial step in eradicating this behavior. FGM is now a part of a larger social justice agenda and of an expanding movement to hold governments responsible, owing to Human Rights.