Publications - Female Genital Cutting: Breaking the Silence, Enabling Change

Female Genital Cutting: Breaking the Silence, Enabling Change

Despite decades of efforts to end female genital cutting (FGC), an estimated two million girls are at risk of undergoing some form of the traditional practice each year, and of suffering the physical and psychological consequences that can ensue. Female Genital Cutting: Breaking the Silence, Enabling Change briefly examines the occurrence of FGC and common rationales for its practice. Historical efforts to eliminate the practice are then explored within the context of an emerging human rights framework, and a synopsis of three concrete strategies and their results - implemented by nongovernmental organizations in Egypt, The Gambia, and Senegal - is provided. The final section of the document distills lessons learned from the three experiences and makes recommendations to development practitioners, donors and policymakers as to what stakeholders in the three countries believe to be critical elements for strategies that enable communities to abandon female genital cutting.