BLOG POST
On the 6th of February 2024, the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is celebrated.
We would like to commemorate this day by raising awareness about this profound violation of girls’ basic human rights. Particularly, this harmful practice constitutes a grave form of gender-based violence (GBV) against girls and violates girls’ sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Girls globally face multiple forms of sexual and gender-based violence every day. As our research has shown, sexual violence against children is not gender-neutral, there are specific forms of violence perpetrated against girls solely because of their gender. We have been conducting new research in our Project 2KNOW and will be soon publishing a report that delves into this and other relevant topics and reveal unprecedented findings.
At Protect Children we believe it is crucial to acknowledge the gendered dimension of sexual violence against children and to direct our efforts into preventive measures to effectively combat this deeply rooted phenomenon. It is therefore crucial to focus on education to transform social and gender norms to eradicate female genital mutilation and other forms of sexual and gender-based violence against girls.
Every girl has the right to the effective protection of their human rights. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that all children enjoy a life free from all forms of violence.