8th Anniversary of the Worldwide Day of Genital Autonomy
Every person has the right to self-determination. Consequently, any practice in which the outer genitalia are partly or completely removed, as well as any medically unnecessary genital operation, should be strictly opposed.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a severe human rights violation practiced worldwide. The practice does not respect the right to genital autonomy and leads to serious health, psychological, social and economic consequences.
The education programme and EU-project Gender ABC aims to ensure this self-determination in two ways:
- First of all, it outlines specific aspects and tools of body safety by explaining that nobody can touch or change the children’s body without their consent and by increasing the children’s skills to identify risks, address proper strategies and act against gender-based violence.
- Secondly, students gain knowledge about FGM and its harmful consequences. Additionally, they learn to identify ways in which girls and women at risk of FGM can be empowered.
Even if there is still a long way to go until the abandonment of this harmful practice, we are happy to hear that Sudan made a significant move to end FGM: Sudan’s new government has outlawed FGM approving a law that criminalises this practise. This is a very important first step for women’s rights activists and campaigners in a country that faces a high rate of FGM’s prevalence.
Claiming for genital autonomy on this day is about the integrity of the body and has no room for hatred, generalisations and animosity.
