One of the most shocking and destructive rituals in the world is the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), which is performed in varying degrees on little girls, mostly before the age of 8 years old. The operation removes part of, or all of, the external female genitals, in what many claim to be an attempt to control a woman’s sexuality. There are no health benefits to female circumcision. The tortuous ethnic rite of passage is tied to traditional ideas of honor, marriage, and purity. 

FGM is practiced in 29 countries around the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Most of these countries are in Africa – specifically North-Eastern Africa, East Africa and West Africa, but the practice is wide spread in the Middle East, South-East Asia, and among immigrants in Europe and North America. The WHO estimates that over 150 million world wide are affected by FGM.

There are varying levels of FGM, the least serious being the removal of the clitoris, and the most severe being the complete removal of all external genitalia, and the remaining parts of the outer lips are sewn shut, leaving a small hole for urination. This is referred to as “infibulation”. All levels of FGM are extremely dangerous for a woman, and lead to serious health concerns and pain throughout her life. Sexual intercourse and menstruation for these girls can be extremely painful, and child birth is often a fatal event, as her stitches must ripped open. 

The practice is so embedded in so many cultures, that should a mother decide to let her little girl skip this painful ritual, she would be shunned by society, and never able to marry. This would bring shame to her family, apparently a far worse fate for a woman than having her genitals sawed off. A circumcised girl remains “clean” and “untouched” until her wedding day.

The procedure is traditionally done by a ‘circumcision expert’, which is usually an elderly woman in the village. Because it is most commonly practiced in remote, nomadic communities, the procedure is done without anesthetic, sterile conditions, or medical supervision. 

Sadly, FGM is not confined to practicing countries, as immigrants have brought this aspect of their culture to new homes in Europe and North America. There are reports of families in the UK flying in doctors to complete this ritual on their daughters, or, worse, performing it themselves. In 1982, Sweden became the first Western Country to ban FGM. As of 2013, an anti-FGM legislation has been signed by 33 countries, including Canada. Canada became the first country to recognize FGM as a form of persecution when it granted refugee status to a Somali woman who was fleeing with her young daughter to avoid FGM.

However, it is believed that around 100,000 girls in the UK are currently at risk of undergoing FGM.

It wasn’t until the mid 1990’s that FGM was finally discussed in the open, and the campaign has been led by former supermodel Waris Dirie. Waris was born in Somalia, and lived as a desert nomad until she ran away from home to escape an arranged marraige at the age of twelve. She underwent infibulation as a little girl, and has suffered the painful consequences her entire life. “When they tried to convince me that God wants this, I said: Did my God hate me so much?”

Waris moved to London, England as a teenager, where she eventually became the face of Revlon, and a world-renowned supermodel. And she has put her fame to good use, becoming a vocal campaigner against the practice of FGM. In 1997, Waris opened up about her experiences in an interview with Marie Clair, and hasn’t stopped the fight since, despite receiving death threats from the Somali community. She has been appointed UN Special Ambassador, and has launched her own foundation, Desert Flower Foundation, to support survivors of FGM, as well as raise awareness and lobby policy makers against this practice. 

In Waris’s native Somalia, approximately 98% of women have been affected by FGM.

Two brave film makers have recently released a documentary about the effects of FGM in Kurdistan, where it is widely practiced. It took them ten long years of research on the greatest taboo to put the piece together. Their film helped have the practice of FGM become outlawed in 2011, and in the past few years, rates of girls undergoing the procedure has fallen by around 60%. 

UN Women has just launched a powerful online campaign which uses the world’s most common search engine, Google, to demonstrate just how wide spread gender inequality is. 

The achievement of gender equality around the world would have incredibly effects on the global economy. It is no secret that empowering women and girls leads to an economic boost in their community – increased productivity and growth are just a few consequences of gender equality. And yet, women are woefully left behind around the world, and cultural and traditional norms continue to oppress women. Women lack access to medical care, employment, land ownership, and earn considerably less than her male counterpart.

While we may think gender equality only exist in other countries, UN Women’s latest campaign proves us all wrong.