In the Best Interests of the Child: Preventing Female Genital Cutting (FGC)

Female Genital Cutting (FGC), the practice of cutting, sewing and altering the genitals of girl children, is a significant global human rights issue, with two to three million girls subjected to it annually. Prevalence is concentrated in twenty-seven northern African countries and Yemen, and, with migration, it is also present in Western countries. It is a highly emotionally charged and contested issue. Globally, activists and communities, including those within practising countries, argue that it causes severe and irreparable harm to girls and women. It is understood as abuse and a violation of the ‘best interests of the child’. Yet, within practising communities, FGC is generally believed to be ‘in the best interests of the [girl] child’. The writers contend that social workers, child welfare and health professionals in Western countries should be equipped to assist residents from practising communities to recognise the harm, change attitudes and practices, and together ensure the protection of their girls from this form of abuse. Drawing on international literature, this article addresses FGC prevalence and harm, its cultural and social bases and effective prevention strategies internationally, together with strategies for practitioners to harness communities' commitment to their children's best interests by abandoning FGC.