10 Facts About Female Genital Mutilation You May Not Have Known #EndFGM

Today marks the UN’s International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation. It is vitally important that we raise our collective voices today and frequently throughout the year to help stop the violence against young girls who are literally mutilated in the name of culture and custom when they have to endure a lifetime of pain and agony.

I just finished the riveting book The Girl With Three Legs: A Memoir about a Somalian woman, Soraya Mire, who underwent the practice in Mogadishu when she was 13. It is a fascinating read into the culture of FGM and why it is extremely difficult to stop. It also is an empowering testament about how a single voice can indeed make change. Think about what a chorus of voices can do!

Read my review of The Girl With Three Legs and take stock of the following facts you may or may not have known about FGM.

In Sept 2000, @USAID officially incorporated elimination of FGM/C into its development agenda ow.ly/tlxj0 #EndFGM
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USAID Global Health (@USAIDGH) February 06, 2014

Three million girls, most under 15 years of age, undergo #FGM every year. This is unacceptable. #EndFGM #VAW” via @UN_Women
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AYA (@Ayakay_) February 06, 2014

FGM/C has been recognized as a violation of girls'&women's #humanrights & an obstacle to #genderequality ow.ly/tlx7L #EndFGM
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USAID Global Health (@USAIDGH) February 06, 2014

Immediate complications of #FGM include severe pain, shock, haemorrhage (bleeding), tetanus or sepsis. RT to raise awareness! #EndFGM
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UNRIC UK & Ireland (@UNRIC_UK) February 06, 2014

.@JohnKerry: The US believes all people deserve to live in dignity and without fear of gender-based violence. go.usa.gov/B9HF #EndFGM
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Department of State (@StateDept) February 06, 2014

A study provides evidence that mothers’ education in #Egypt is associated w/ daughters’ circumcision status bit.ly/16HNNEC #endFGM
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(@UNFPA) February 06, 2014

An estimated 125M girls + women alive today have been cut in 29 countries in Africa + Middle East via @UN un.org/en/events/fema… #endFGM
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(@ICRW) February 06, 2014