Rights group Usikimye is calling for an absolute end to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) saying there is absolutely no benefit to the practice.
They said that on the contrary, it only has numerous negative side effects, ranging from severe pain, haemorrhaging and infections to death.
They said FGM is a violation of women’s and girls’ rights yet there are many reasons communities have given for the practice.
"Some say the removal of the clitoris, the female organ for pleasure, will make women pure and ready for marriage by reducing their sexual appetite," they said.
Others say the clitoris is unhygienic and ugly, a sign of bad luck and that uncut women are promiscuous.
"Others have also said that FGM is mandated by Islam, which is not true. None of the reasons given is true," they said.
They said that women have as much right to derive pleasure from sexual intercourse as men do, and mutilating women and girls to prevent this is deeply sexist and patriarchal.
"This year, we are saying partnership with men and boys will transform social and gender norms to end FGM," they concluded.
Usikimye said that in the past couple of days, there has been a case of. forced FGM from Kuria.
However, they said, many other cases do not make it to the limelight.
More than 200 million women and girls alive have been subjected to FGM.
One type of female genital mutilation or cutting involves the clitoris or clitoral hood being removed.
"Another type is where both the clitoris and inner lips of the vagina are removed and the most extreme form, and involves removal of the clitoris, inner lips and outer lips of the vagina," they said.
In the worst cases, they said, the woman is also sewn shut to narrow the vaginal opening, leaving only a tiny hole for the passage of urine and menstrual blood.
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