How deeply wounded are the morals of women out there, fighting for their lives time after time to maintain their dignity as women, and this article will answer the question of how FGM will continue in the future.
This article discusses the practice of Female Genital Mutilation that occurs in corners of the world, particularly in the Middle East and Asia, and whether it will disappear from the global stage. The author believes that women have the right to prosperity and freedom without being constrained by many parties, and continues to raise her voice in the silence to uphold the dignity of women in the world. Therefore, the author discusses several aspects, namely, the voices of women in obtaining their rights, inspiring women who have successfully broken free from the cycle of FGM, how women fight against violence, and the urgent need to eradicate FGM in all corners of the world.
Almost every day, there are thousands of women in the eastern hemisphere, the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Asia, including Indonesia, who experience the pain of a life lived in the name of upholding customs and culture, without any benefit or medical reason. This form of violence directly tortures women’s identities, preventing them from moving freely and enjoying this bright life. Female genital mutilation is a major obstacle and barrier for women out there in achieving their beautiful desires, reaching their dreams, and attaining a more prosperous life.
The commemoration of 6 February is a sign of the call to end the practice of FGM worldwide, in order to protect the freedom and fight for the rights of girls from this unfounded, and harmful practice that injures and harms precious women in all corners of the world. This commemoration is called the “International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation”, as announced by UNWomen.
You should know that these commemorative days and calls to action are inseparable from the women who speak out loudly, and are an inspiration to many women around the world to voice their rights and fight hard for the future of children and other precious women. The following are some of the strong women who have inspired and dared to speak up for many women around the world: Magda Ahmed, Elizabeth Thomas Mniko, Purity Soinato Oiyie, and Jaha Dukureh. The movement or call to action regarding FGM is inseparable from the role of women who speak out for the rights of many women around the world. However, men’s voices have also been raised regarding this immoral practice. From UNICEF’s official website – for every child, a call for girls and women in Guinea-Bissau began with Maria Augusta Correia, who believes that this movement on behalf of women will not be successful without the support of men against female genital mutilation (FGM).
The increasingly vocal voices calling for the empowerment of women around the world are greatly needed and must be acted upon, because every woman has immense value and is as precious as a diamond. Learning from the inspiring stories of many women above, some fled, some educated others based on their experiences, and some spoke out because they had undergone FGM. All of this is proof that women’s strong struggle against these violations is very valuable and empowering, because it gives rise to a sense of morality among women that all women are valuable in this world.
Reviewing the official website of the World Health Organization, WTO, reveals that the practice of FGM is a form of violence against women, violating women’s rights to live healthily, protect their bodies from harm, violence, and coercion. From this statement, it can be concluded that women have the right to protect and own their bodies, free from physical or non-physical contact from irresponsible individuals.
The violent act of FGM, which is carried out without any arguable medical reasons, is based on cultural and traditional grounds. According to an article by Taylor & Francis, FGM is carried out to limit women’s desire for sex, for religious reasons, for social acceptance, to maintain female hygiene and purity, and as a sign of transition from childhood to adulthood.
However, regardless of the reasons given, violence remains violence. Women need to have integrity without exception. Women must continue to live healthy lives without pain haunting them. Women must be resilient in living their lives without restrictions, because women are not shields for violence. Everything in the name of women must be upheld for life. They must shine to provide a better life for their families, communities, and society.
The voices of women fighting against institutionalized violence
As a sign of our moral support for women out there, a small call for action means a lot to them, as they are surrounded by appalling conditions and suffer physical abuse that they do not deserve. On the kumparanWOMAN homepage, Queen Rania, the consort of King Abdullah II of Jordan, makes a strong statement. She attended the United Nations General Assembly, saying that, “I urge the United Nations to take a firm stance on human rights violations around the world, and restore balance to the world. No one can claim to defend women from afar”.
Queen Rania’s statement indicates that a firm stance is necessary. in fact, it is not only the responsibility of the United Nations to grant this request; the surrounding community also needs to contribute to enlightening those who carry out or initiate FGM so that human rights violations against women can be eliminated as desired for the prosperity of society and the world. Concrete action is the key to ending this violence. On the other hand, we cannot only take concrete action. This requires contributions from relevant intellectuals who are able to provide enlightenment in the form of education and socialization that can explain to those who still believe in customs and traditions.
Specifically, last year at the Nairobi High-Level Conference on the 25th International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD25), organized directly by UNFPA, representatives from governments, grassroots organizations, the private sector, development agencies and others agreed to end gender-based violence and harmful practices. This was not just a mere meeting, but a movement to end violence against women around the world.
Female genital mutilation is predicted to end soon
One sign that FGM will end is the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) standard, which targets ending this practice of violence by 2030 as an objective of the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, the United Nations Sexual and Reproductive Health Agency. Of course, this transformation requires significant economic, educational, legal, and healthcare resources. The existence of laws and norms will support the success of preventing violence against women around the world and saving women in the future.
UNFPA expresses its deep gratitude to the women who speak out loudly for a brighter and more meaningful future for women, Their inspiring stories and ideas have encouraged women everywhere to remain courageous in rejecting FGM in their communities, one way being to fight back and assert that women deserve a better life than enduring pain in the name of tradition and custom. Women must continue to live amidst boredom and silence, living as women who resist. Their rights, their choices, and their bodies.
