‘Making history’: The fight to end female genital mutilation in Colombia
Summary
Colombia has become the first country in Latin America to pass a law banning female genital mutilation (FGM). The law was approved unanimously by the Senate and now awaits the president’s signature. FGM is a harmful practice mainly found in Indigenous Embera communities in Colombia.Key Facts
- Colombia’s Senate passed Bill 440, which prohibits female genital mutilation nationwide.
- The bill was supported unanimously after four debates and two years of effort.
- President Gustavo Petro must now approve the law for it to take effect.
- FGM involves cutting or removing female genitalia for non-medical reasons.
- The World Health Organization calls FGM a human rights violation.
- Around 230 million women and girls worldwide have experienced FGM.
- In Colombia, FGM is mainly practiced in Indigenous Embera communities in Choco and Risaralda.
- The issue came to public attention after two girls died from infected FGM wounds in 2007.
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