6 February is the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation. FGM is the ritual removal of some or all of the female genitalia and it affects about 200 million girls and women alive today. It is mostly carried out on young girls sometime between infancy and age 15. It is often seen as a tradition in raising a girl properly. The procedure has no health benefits and can often lead to complications or even death. It is mostly widespread in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. However, at least 500.000 victims of FGM live in the European Union.
FGM is a violation of human rights and a harmful traditional practice that should not be considered as part of a religion as such, but as an act of violence and torture against girls and women.
LYMEC condemns all mutilation, and calls for international cooperation to end Female Genital Mutilation worldwide.
