Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of
the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. It
is mostly carried out by traditional circumcisers, who often play other central roles in their communities, such as attending childbirths. FGM is recognized internationally as a human rights
violation of girls and women. It reflects deep-rooted inequality between the sexes, and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women. It is nearly always carried out on minors and 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.
