International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation is a United Nations-sponsored annual awareness day on 6 February each year. The day is part of the UN’s efforts to eradicate female genital mutilation (FGM) across the globe.
FGM is recognised internationally as a violation of human rights. It leads to short-term health complications such as severe pain, excessive bleeding, and infection, but can have long-term consequences for sexual, reproductive and mental health. The practice of FGM impacts women and girls worldwide but is concentrated in communities from some areas of Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
FGM is almost always carried out on young girls and is a violation of the rights of children. The practice also violates a person’s rights to health, security and physical integrity, the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and the right to life when the procedure results in death – all rights protected under international human rights law.
At Monash Health, the Family and Reproductive Rights Education Program (FARREP) aims to raise community awareness support Monash Health employees. The Program provides training that focuses on the issues associated with FGM and how to best support affected communities. To find out more about the FARREP Program, and the training and support available, you can contact our Health Promotion team.
You can find out more about FGM on the United Nations website.
Approved by Dr Anjali Dhulia