AS IT IS 2016-02-13 UN: More Female Genital Mutilation Than Thought

AS IT IS 2016-02-13 UN: More Female Genital Mutilation Than Thought

Millions more girls and women are victims of female genital mutilation than previously¹ thought, said the United Nations (UN).

UNICEF is the UN children’s agency. They said in a report released Thursday that at least 200 million girls and women alive today have had ritual cutting. The practice of cutting and stitching a female’s genitals is a cultural practice focused on modesty² and chastity.

Half of the victims live in just three countries – Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia.

This is nearly 70 million more girls and women than estimated in 2014. New data was collected in Indonesia. The practice has been banned there since 2006.

Somalia has the highest rate of women and girls who have been cut. It affects 98 percent of the female population between the ages of 15 and 49. Guinea, Djibouti and Sierra Leone also have very high rates.

About 44 million victims of female genital mutilation around the world are aged³ 14 or younger. The majority of girls who have their genitals mutilated were cut before they were 5 years old, reported UNICEF.         

“In Yemen, 85 percent of girls experienced the practice before their first week of life,” said the report.

Hard to track

UNICEF said exact numbers are hard to find. Few of the 30 countries where it is practiced keep reliable data on the procedure. Most rely on household surveys.

The practice also exists in countries not in the study. This includes India, Malaysia, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In addition, the practice happens in parts of Australia, North America and Europe, where immigrants from countries with a large number of female circumcisions live.

The report said that total rates of female genital mutilation have fallen in the last three decades. But progress has been uneven⁴. Countries that have seen sharp declines include Liberia, Burkina Faso and Kenya.

The UN General Assembly unanimously approved a resolution in December 2012 calling for a ban on female genital mutilation. It is a centuries-old practice stemming from the belief that circumcising girls controls women’s sexuality and increases fertility. Last September, the UN set a goal of eliminating the practice by 2030.

Words in This Story

female genital mutilation – n. all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitals, or other injury to female genital organs for non-medical reasons

ritual – adj.  done as part of a ceremony or ritual

modesty – n. the quality of behaving and especially dressing⁵ in ways that do not attract sexual attention

chastity – n. the state of not having sex with anyone

genitals – b. sexual organs

mutilate – v.  to cause severe damage to (the body of a person or animal)

circumcision – n.  the act of cuting off the clitoris or outer sexual organs of (a woman or girl) 

unanimously – adv. agreed to by everyone

resolution – n.  the act of finding an answer or solution to a conflict, problem, etc. : the act of resolving something

sexuality – n.  the sexual habits and desires of a person

fertility – n.  the state or condition of being fertile: the ability to produce young

1 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

2 modesty   

n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素

参考例句：

• Industry and modesty are the chief factors of his success.勤奋和谦虚是他成功的主要因素。
• As conceit makes one lag behind,so modesty helps one make progress.骄傲使人落后，谦虚使人进步。

3 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

4 uneven   

adj.不平坦的，不规则的，不均匀的

参考例句：

• The sidewalk is very uneven—be careful where you walk.这人行道凹凸不平—走路时请小心。
• The country was noted for its uneven distribution of land resources.这个国家以土地资源分布不均匀出名。

5 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。