For far too long, female genital mutilation (FGM) remained a well-kept secret, a taboo, a subject never to be discussed. The practice of cutting the external female genitalia was something that many people didn’t know was taking place in their own communities. Campaigners banged on doors for decades and were ignored. In some cases, even those affected by FGM either did not know they had undergone the procedure or did not know that the practice they had endured had a name.
Yet, it was incredibly widespread. In fact, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that more than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone the harmful practice, leaving many living with its long-term impacts.
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