Female genital mutilation(FGM)

Female genital mutilation is the non-medical practice that intentionally removes female genital organs-such as clitoris and labia- and the narrowing of the vaginal opening. 

Often, girls are cut when they are still very young in some cases under the age of 5. 

FGM is non-medical and has zero health benefits but it can cause a lot of other things such as:

• Severe bleeding 
• Complications in childbirth
• Problems urinating
• Problems menstruating 
• Problems having sex
• Mental health issues 
• Shock 
• Death 
• Fistula 

It is important to note that FGM is not a religious practice.  It happens in Christian, Muslim, and Jewish communities, but there is nothing in any of their holy books that teaches it. 

FGM is a form of gender-based violence, it is violence against girls and women, it is child abuse, sexual assault. 

Often it is about controlling female sexuality a tradition to prepare a woman for marriage allegedly to purify them for their husbands.