The Devastating Effects of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM): T. M. Ogboye
The Devastating Effects of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM): T. M. Ogboye The World Health Organization (2022) defines female genital mutilation (FGM) as any procedure that causes non-medical injury to the female genital organs or involves the partial or complete removal of the external female genitalia. Female genital mutilation (FGM) has affected over 230 million girls and women in regions where the practice is prevalent, including Africa, the Middle East, and Asia FGM is generally performed on young girls between the ages of infancy and 15 and is regarded as a violation of the human rights of girls and women worldwide. The health effects of FGM complications are estimated to cost health systems US$ 1.4 billion annually, and this figure is expected to rise unless immediate action is taken to end the practice (UNICEF, 2020). The practice of FGM not only infringes on an individual's fundamental rights to health, safety, and bodily autonomy but also constitutes a viol...