February 6; International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation

Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, stated in a statement regarding "female genital mutilation" that over 200 million women and girls worldwide are grappling with the consequences of "a major violence" against their human rights. What Mr. Guterres says reflects concerns that the UN has long been trying to address. Accordingly, since 2003, February 6 has been designated as an international day to combat this act: "World Day for the Rejection of Any Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation." The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported two years ago that dozens of countries, especially in Africa and other regions including Indonesia, Yemen, and Iraq, are areas where the genitalia of girls and women are cut. Countries like Somalia and Guinea have the highest rates of female mutilation among women aged 15 to 49, while countries like Gambia, Mauritania, and Indonesia have the highest rates of female genital mutilation from birth to age 14. UNICEF states that, for example, in Yemen, 85% of these girls are "mutilated" in the first week of their birth. The UN and its affiliated organizations, including the World Health Organization and UNICEF, define four different practices under the term "female genital mutilation": from partial or total removal of the clitoris (circumcision), stitching the genitalia, to other dangerous non-medical practices that ultimately lead to the mutilation of women's genitalia. The United Nations considers any mutilation of women's sexual organs as a "clear violation" of human rights and "a clear instance of torture." Based on UNICEF research from countries where statistics have been collected, nearly 70% of women and over 60% of men believe that female genital mutilation should end. What is the situation in Iran? Activists in Iran have long been trying to provide evidence of the occurrence of circumcision or female genital mutilation. "Nasrin," a citizen who has been subjected to circumcision, explained her experience in an interview with the "Another Voice" program of Radio Farda: "When I told my friends at university that girls are circumcised in our area, none of them had heard anything about it, and even the doctors I spoke with in Tehran were completely unaware that circumcision is prevalent in some areas of Iran." Camille Ahmadi, a researcher who has studied female circumcision in Iran, once told Radio Farda that "in Hormozgan province, which has the highest percentage of circumcised girls, the percentage of circumcised women in islands and areas like Minab and Parsian is 59%. The second highest is in Kermanshah province, followed by Kurdistan province and then West Azerbaijan province. These statistics vary by county." Mr. Ahmadi stated in an interview last month that three years after his research, the situation regarding circumcision has significantly improved: "Fortunately, in the good news we receive, we see that the statistics have significantly decreased in at least three western provinces of the country. Hormozgan province remains a leader. However, even there, we are witnessing a decrease in statistics in some areas." "Khadijah must suffer pain her entire life." Ethiopia is one of the countries listed by UNICEF in relation to "female genital mutilation." A woman named Khadijah explained her experience to the Associated Press: "I had no control over my urination for a long time... Because of this, I isolated myself from society. Later, when my menstruation started, the pain increased significantly because the exit canal was very narrow. And after I got married, sexual intercourse with my husband was painful." Khadijah was seven years old when she was "mutilated." She must suffer pain her entire life. The Ethiopian government, like some other countries on the UNESCO list, has banned female genital mutilation. Several activists and doctors in African countries with the highest statistics have also joined the campaign against this phenomenon. Dr. Saleh Yusuf Imam, a hospital director in Ethiopia, told the Associated Press that counseling services to raise awareness have been "successful," but "there is still a long way to go to change people's attitudes." Another person who spoke with the Associated Press is Edu Abdullah Duba, someone who used to perform circumcisions: "There were times when I performed several circumcisions in one day." Khadijah says that although what happened has changed her life, she is determined to "prevent the suffering of another generation of girls." She says, "Whenever I find a father or mother insisting on performing female circumcision, I try to convince them... but when my efforts to change their mindset are not enough, I refer them to local health centers so that they can intervene." Edu Abdullah Duba says he once believed that his work "helped women preserve their virginity and remain faithful in marriage." However, after attending training classes by the government and a group of religious leaders, he "put down the blade." Edu Abdullah Duba is now a midwife and has joined the campaign against female genital mutilation.