This archive report was first published on 4 October 2019.
On October 3, 2019, a hashtag #ClitIsGold trended on Twitter, sparking a conversation about the need to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Kenya and Africa.
FGM, a practice that involves the partial or total removal of the external genitalia of girls and women, is a global issue recognized as a violation of women's and girls' rights. According to a 2014 report by the World Health Organization (WHO), FGM is a serious health risk, with victims facing the risk of bleeding to death, dying from infection, or experiencing serious complications during childbirth.
Despite the risks, some women willingly undergo FGM to fulfill their cultural obligations. In recent reports, five Kenyan women were arrested for procuring FGM services amongst themselves, with one of them claiming that her grandmother had assured her it was the best thing to do.
However, many national, regional, and international activists have developed programs to advocate for and support the abandonment of FGM. The campaign to obliterate FGM has also been propelled on social media, with netizens sharing their opinions and calling for an end to the practice.
As one Twitter user noted, 'Don't subject our girls to both physical and mental pain. FGM should be an outdated malpractice. Protect them all.'
With 200 million women having undergone some form of FGM worldwide, and 3 million girls and women at risk of undergoing the practice, it is clear that the fight against FGM is far from over. In Africa, 6 out of 10 young women aged between 10 and 25 years are at risk of undergoing FGM, highlighting the need for continued efforts to eradicate the practice.
