Female Genital Mutilation: A Cry for Human Rights

FGM is “the procedure that involves partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. The practice has no health benefits for girls and women and cause severe bleeding and problems urinating, and later cysts, infections, as well as complications in childbirth and increased risk of newborn deaths” . Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a practice adopted in several parts of the world where little girls undergo a torture by the removal of the external part of their genitalia without any medical reasons. This is a traditional practice for various communities which is causing a potent concern not only because it is painful but also because of the fact that it is a gross violation of human rights. There are attempts made in the international level by the World Health Organization (WHO) to spread awareness and prohibit the practice of FGM by celebrating 6th February as the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM. However, the problem faced by most of the nations practicing such a tradition is its hush-hush affair. The author of this paper tries to analyze the religious practices of FGM and understand the provisions recognized globally to prohibit the same. Finally, the author would read the practice from the constitutional aspect and answer if there is a necessity to have legal provisions to ban this practice in India.