UNICEF Egypt released this incredibly powerful video concerning one of the greatest human rights violations of our time: female genital mutilation. Female genital mutilation is a procedure where a woman’s outer genitalia is surgically removed for non-medical reasons. Essentially, it’s a sexist practice that ensures a woman will feel no sensation of pleasure during sex and is supposed to discourage promiscuity.
Unfortunately, this happens many times to young girls who have not consented to this procedure, and it’s often done with tools that haven’t been sterilized and with no anesthesia. In short, it’s an inhumane, misogynistic practice that must end. According to UNICEF’s recent publication, “more than 130 million girls and women have experienced FGM/C in 29 countries in Africa and the Middle East where the practice is most common.”
This video shows a young Egyptian girl who is being taken by her father to undergo female genital mutilation. Although in some countries the practice has been medicalized in order to make it appear more humane, the end result is that it’s still a terrifying and painful procedure with zero medical benefits. The video is an excellent way of demonstrating the powerful message that we must take a stand and protect these girls from a world that seeks to subjugate and dehumanize them.