Genital mutilation ‘ unacceptable’

Canadian MDS reaffirm stance as requests for procedure on women rises

OTTAWA — The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada is calling for a cultural change in attitudes toward female genital mutilation, a practice it calls a human rights violation.

The society has reaffirmed its stance on the practice in a new policy statement published in the February edition of the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Canada.

The clarification was necessary to ensure that all Canadian doctors know that the practice is illegal and “unacceptable” here.

“We want to raise awareness that there are more and more women we are seeing [ with this procedure] because of immigration,” Dr. Margaret Burnett, head of the society’s Social and Sexual Issues Committee, said.

“Cultural values and norms that promote [ female genital mutilation] procedures must change to ensure that females are not confronted with intolerant environments and unnecessary procedures involving immediate and longer- term risks, complications and consequences,” Burnett said. “There are no clear guidelines for health care professionals in dealing with requests for [ female genital mutilation] procedures or for providing culturally competent care for women who have already been subjected to [ the procedure]. The good news is we are working on these now.”

This group of women had the procedure when they were in their childhood or teenage years.

The society calls female genital mutilation, or cutting, a violation of the human rights of girls and women.

The UN defines female genital mutilation as any procedure that involves removing part or all of the external female genitalia, or another type of injury to female organs such as sewing together female genitalia for non- medical reasons.

“As women of reproductive age immigrate in great numbers to Canada, Canadian health

Canadian health professionals will likely be faced with more requests for procedures involving female genital cutting.

DR. VYTA SENIKAS

POLICY STATEMENT CO- AUTHOR

professionals will likely be faced with more requests for procedures involving female genital cutting or for treatment due to a [ female genital mutilation] procedure they were subjected to in the past,” said Dr. Vyta Senikas, acting executive vice- president of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada and a co- author of the policy statement. “What these immigrant women need is access to culturally competent care in Canada.”

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada says the practice has no known health benefits and can lead to serious, immediate and lifethreatening health risks. It is also harmful to a woman’s physical and psychological well- being.

According to the World Health Organization, in 2008, between 100 and 140 million girls and women in the world lived with female genital mutilation. The practice can be found in western, eastern and northeastern Africa, and some Asian and Middle Eastern countries. With post- Second World War migration, it is also found within certain immigrant, refugee and asylum- seeker communities in Europe, Australia and North America, including Canada — where it is illegal.

In Canada, the women who have undergone this procedure have been mainly from Africa and countries which consider it a traditional rite of passage that can beautify women, prevent promiscuity and protect girls from rape, Burnett said.