FGM has no place in the 21st century | Letter

Sixty-eight million girls around the world are at risk, says Natalia Kanem, the UNFPA’s executive director

Your report (Burkina Faso botched FGM leaves 50 girls in hospital, 18 September) underscores the terrible toll this harmful practice continues to exert around the world. Female genital mutilation inflicts lasting emotional and physical harm on the most vulnerable members of society. It has no medical or religious justification – and no place in the 21st century.

Burkina Faso is actually one of the countries that has made a concerted effort to end FGM, which in some communities is seen as a rite of passage for girls. With 86 arrests and 43 convictions in 2017, and mobile courts to take the legal process to communities, the country is a leader in the enforcement of legislation banning the practice.

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from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2NRAP4I