Only united voices can bring an end to FGM/Co

From one of the Voices videos

On February 6, 2020 the world marked the International Day for Zero Tolerance towards Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting called FGM/C. The practice is especially prevalent within the Dawoodi Bohra community.

A report in this paper highlighted how two organisations - a transnational one called Sahiyo and a US-based one called StoryCenter - have used the power of storytelling to focus on the hitherto taboo subject. In 27 videos, which can be viewed on Sahiyo's YouTube page, survivors have spoken out about their ordeal and about advocating for an end to FGM/C.

The cutting, or khatna as it is called within Bohras, comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that FGM is recognised internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. The practice. WHO says, has no medical justification and no health benefits.

The videos are an effort to break the silence surrounding FGM and in doing so, moving towards an end to the practice. More men need to speak out publicly about the issue, instead of relegating it to the background or dismissing it as a 'female issue'.

Like all stories of discrimination or injustice, this one too proves that prejudicial practices are not to be boxed as men's or women's rights but as human rights issues and seen through that prism.

Speak out against this cruel and degrading practice, imposed on women when they are little girls. If you hear somebody practising FGM/C, reach out to platforms such as Sahiyo and StoryCenter, and initiate a discussion. Add to the decibel level of voices against cutting. More strength means more power. Join in and use the agency you have to help stop it.

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