Many of the girls at risk of FGM are under the age of 5, the UN says. Around 230 million women and girls around the world are survivors of the practice.
The UN said ‘every dollar invested in ending FGM yields a tenfold return’ [FILE: January 2018]Image: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images
Advertisement
An estimated 4.5 million girls worldwide are at risk of undergoing female genital mutilation this year, the United Nations warned on Friday.
Many of the girls at risk are under the age of five, the UN’s children’s agency UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a joint statement that was issued on the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM.
What is female genital mutilation (FGM)?
FGM involves the total or partial removal of the external female genitalia. It is practiced in some parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia on religious or traditional grounds.
Children under the age of five are sometimes victims of the practice, which can lead to severe, life-long consequences, according to UN Women.
The procedure is usually carried out on young girls before they reach puberty, based on unfounded claims that it ensures girls’ virginity.
