This week the Orchid Project has released a fabulous infographic detailing how Female Genital Cutting is not only an African issue.
When communities migrate around the world, they not only bring their traditions and customs with them, they also meet up with other members of their communities. In doing so, they actively seek to keep their cultures alive through upholding customs that are deemed central to their cultural identity.
Female genital cutting is one of those customs and this is why it continues to be observed in countries including UK, Australia, Canada and the USA even though it is illegal and considered child abuse.
In 2010, the USA even went so far as to make ‘holiday cutting’ illegal in a bid to protect minors who are taken back to Africa during ‘vacations’ and cut there. This is the extent of the problem that such legislation had to be passed to protect young women and girls.
You can click on the photo above to see the full image but please visit the Orchid Project article Female genital cutting among diaspora communities or share some of their information available on their fantastic resource page.
You can also read my interview with Julia Lalla-Maharajh of the Orchid Project.
Thanks for posting this! I was the designer contracted for the graphic and i love seeing it around :)
ReplyDeleteWow, it's very good Christa! Thank you for creating it.
ReplyDelete