So yesterday was the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, an awareness day sponsored by the United Nations (UN) to combat FGM.

Although getting rid of FGM by 2030 is an aim of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, we have a long way to go and the battle is VERY much ongoing.

What is FGM?

Female Genital Mutilation is the partial or total removal of the female external genitalia for non-medical reasons. It’s also known as “cutting” and is usually carried out on girls who are less than fifteen years old, often before puberty hits.

FGM is often seen as a cultural or religious tradition, and has a particularly high rate among young girls in places like Gambia and Egypt (where about 87% of girls have been subject to FGM).

BUT what a lot of people don’t realise is that FGM happens all around the world. An estimated 200 million girls and women in the world today have had some form of FGM, a scary amount when you consider not only that the practice is a violation of human rights but is also incredibly painful, traumatic and causes often severe health issues (including infections such as HIV, infertility and reduced sexual experiences).

Integrate UK (a youth-led charity that seeks to educate and empower young people, based in Bristol) recently released a video called #MyClitoris to mark how important it is to keep fighting against FGM. And it wasBRILLIANT.

We challenge you not to go around singing it for the next hour.

Seriously, it’s so catchy.

Some of our favourite lyics include, “Try to change me, shame me, tame me, shape me every day/ But you can’t touch my dignity in any way”, “all these men with stuffed up puffed up points of view/ What, do you think my vagina’s made for you?” and “my clitoris is staying where it is”.

We love how it was so straight to the point.

UK Lib Dem politician Lynne Featherstone also released a video calling for action from PM Theresa May, emphasising how important it is not to think of it as someone else’s problem, and how we ALL need to be educated on it.

FGM is such a cruel and abusivepractice and it’s crazy to think that it is still happening right now to millions of girls around the world. Let’s spread the message and support the battle against FGM.

'If you or anyone else you know has been affected by FGM, click hereor see our MTV Staying Alive Foundation page for more info.'

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