Based on the model described, it is estimated that 53,000 girls and women born elsewhere but living in Australia in 2017 had undergone FGM/C during their lifetime—a rate of 4.3 per 1,000 girls and women in Australia, or 0.4% of Australia's overall female population.
A preliminary estimate, based on available data, suggests there could be over 50,000 women and girls living in Australia who may have undergone FGM/C. This estimate is based, however, on several assumptions and data limitations.
FGM 'alive' in Australia
“FGM does happen in Australia, FGM is child abuse and it is covered under our child protection laws in every state [and territory],” said Ms Gbla. , it is estimated that 53,000 women, born elsewhere, but living in Australia have undergone female genital mutilation.
The practice is almost universal in Somalia, Guinea and Djibouti, with levels above 90 per cent, while it affects no more than 1 per cent of girls and women in Cameroon and Uganda. However, FGM is a human rights issue that affects girls and women worldwide.
More than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM) in 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where FGM is practiced. FGM is mostly carried out on young girls between infancy and age 15. FGM is a violation of the human rights of girls and women.
On the other hand, some circumcised women report having satisfying sexual relations including sexual desire, pleasure and orgasm. Female genital mutilation does not eliminate sexual pleasure totally for every woman who undergoes the procedure, but it does reduce the likely of orgasm.
Signs FGM might have taken place
Having difficulty walking, standing or sitting. Spending longer in the bathroom or toilet. Appearing quiet, anxious or depressed. Acting differently after an absence from school or college.
FGM is often referred to as female circumcision. This term implies a comparable practice to male circumcision. However, the degree of excision and trauma involved in FGM is generally much more extensive, including the actual removal of genital organs.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimates that at least 200 million women and girls have undergone FGM in the world. FGM has been practiced mainly in the western, eastern, and north-eastern regions of Africa and some countries in the Middle East and Asia.
While most prevalent in Africa and the Middle East, FGM is a global problem and is also practiced in Asia and Latin America.
There is no exact established region where FGM's origin is dated back to, however, scholars have proposed Ancient Egypt and Sudan. Others claim it originated from Ancient Rome, stating that FGM was implemented on the female slaves to prevent pregnancy and sexual relations.
FGM is most often carried out on young girls aged between infancy and 15 years old. It is often referred to as 'cutting', 'female circumcision', 'initiation', 'Sunna' and 'infibulation'.
A mother whose daughter underwent female genital mutilation at the age of 3 has become the first person in the UK to be convicted of the practice. The 37 year old woman from Uganda was found guilty after a trial at the Old Bailey in London.
Known as khatna, khafz, and khafd, the procedure is performed on six- or seven-year-old girls and involves the total or partial removal of the clitoral hood.
A clitoridectomy is often done to remove malignancy or necrosis of the clitoris. This is sometimes done along with a radical complete vulvectomy. Surgery may also become necessary due to therapeutic radiation treatments to the pelvic area. Removal of the clitoris may be due to malignancy or trauma.
Menstrual problems.
Obstruction of the vaginal opening may lead to painful menstruation (dysmenorrhea), irregular menses and difficulty in passing menstrual blood, particularly among women with Type III FGM.
The most frequently cited reasons for carrying out FGM are social acceptance, religion, misconceptions about hygiene, a means of preserving a girl or woman's virginity, making the woman "marriageable" and enhancing male sexual pleasure.
The practice has been linked in some countries with rites of passage for women. FGM is usually performed by traditional practitioners using a sharp object such as a knife, a razor blade or broken glass.
Type IV is the mildest form and includes any form of other harm done to the genitalia by pricking, piercing, cutting, scraping, or burning. World Health Organization classification of female genital cutting. Type I, also known as clitoridectomy or sunna, involves removing part or all of the clitoris and/or the prepuce.
Abstract. Female genital mutilation (FGM) or circumcision refers to the unnecessary procedure that damages or removes the external genitalia of females. It is mostly practiced in African countries and some Asian regions, particularly the Middle East, and is performed because of cultural, religious, and social reasons.
The authors found that the “vast majority of studies” concluded that women prefer circumcised penises. Even in countries where circumcision was not the norm, a majority of women found circumcised men more attractive.
FGM has no health benefits and can lead to serious, long-term complications and even death. Immediate health risks include haemorrhage, shock, infection, HIV transmission, urine retention and severe pain.
A 2016 study confirmed this, finding that men who were circumcised experienced the same level of sexual pleasure as men who were not.