there are 230 million women in the world who have undergone female circumcision

UNICEF – the UN agency dealing with the protection of children – presented a report on female circumcision in the world. This is a mutilating procedure adopted in some cultures, mainly in Asia and Africa. According to UNICEF data, there are currently about 230 million circumcised women in the world.

The previous statistics were published by UNICEF in 2016. Over the past eight years, the number of victims of circumcision has increased by 30 million.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said that despite efforts to combat the practice of circumcision, progress in this area is slow. She also expressed concern that in recent years, girls are more often circumcised at an early age, up to five years old, which reduces the possibility of timely intervention.

The agency noted that the tradition of female circumcision has not become more widespread geographically, but in those regions where it exists, the number of victims is increasing due to high birth rates.

• Female circumcision is a procedure of surgical removal (partially or completely) of a woman’s external genitalia. Girls from infancy to adolescence are exposed to it. In cultures where it is practiced, it is believed that this way it is possible to quench a girl’s sexual desire and “save her from debauchery.” The consequences of female circumcision are the inability to enjoy sex, pain during sex, complications during childbirth, and psychological problems.
• In Russia, the tradition of female circumcision exists in some regions of the North Caucasus.