In many cultures, female genital mutilation (FGM)—also known as cutting—symbolizes the transition from girlhood to womanhood and is a valued traditional practice. But it has devastating physical and psychological effects on girls, some short-term and some lifelong. An estimated 200 million women and girls alive today have been subjected to FGM, which involves removal of part or the whole of the external female genitalia. This harmful practice can hold dangerous implications for girls’ marriage, health, education, and future work.
