Ethiopian authorities stopped the genital mutilation of a teenage girl after receiving an alert.
A new report from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights warns that the practice of subjecting girls to genital mutilation across borders is undermining the global fight against the scourge of female genital mutilation.
The report notes that while many countries have stepped up efforts to eradicate female genital mutilation, the practice continues around the world, in part because of the "insidious nature of cross-border and transnational female genital mutilation".
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Türk said female genital mutilation is part of a spectrum of gender-based violence that has no place in a world that respects human rights. All forms of female genital mutilation must be eliminated and gender stereotypes and patriarchal norms that perpetuate and perpetuate them.
Bad habits are rampant
The report estimates that 4.3 million girls are at risk of genital mutilation in 2023, based on submissions from countries around the world and research by relevant civil society organizations. More than 600,000 women in the EU are thought to have undergone genital mutilation.
The so-called "holiday mutilation" is when some families, especially in Europe and North America, take their daughters to their countries of origin and communities of origin to be subjected to genital mutilation during school holidays.
In some cases, girls are reportedly taken to countries that serve as "centers for transnational female genital mutilation". In some cases, the report added, it was "the people who performed the cut-and-go surgery" who crossed borders to perform the harmful surgery.
The report points to cross-border and cross-border movements for the purpose of FGM around the world. Girls and young women living in border communities are particularly vulnerable, as communities in border areas often have cultural and ethnic ties that transcend national borders.
A global response
Türk said countries around the world have made human rights commitments to eradicate female genital mutilation and promote gender equality. If States are to truly fulfil their commitment to eradicate this harmful practice everywhere, they should ensure a joint global approach to action to address the root causes and consequences of female genital mutilation, including harmonizing their legal and policy frameworks and ensuring their implementation.
The report urges States to engage in regional and international cooperation in their efforts to eradicate the practice, for example by allocating adequate resources to the establishment and implementation of regional policy frameworks and cooperation agreements to prevent and address cross-border and transnational female genital mutilation and to provide support to survivors.
The report also calls on States to consult with survivors and relevant civil society organizations to ensure that effective preventive measures are in place, and to work with affected communities, religious and traditional leaders to develop them.
