I’ve spent most of the day watching videos about female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female circumcision or female genital cutting (FGC), as preparation for a post I plan to do about the topic. I found one particularly good video I want to share with you now. It was commissioned back in 2012 by the International Federation of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (FIGO) and produced by a group called Safe Hands for Mothers. Their vision is one where no women die in pregnancy or childbirth. As FGM markedly increases the risks for women during childbirth, their work includes campaigning against it.

The Cutting Tradition is narrated by Meryl Streep and, as stated on the YouTube page, was “Filmed in Ethiopia, Egypt, Djibouti, Burkina Faso and the UK, [and] … looks at the reasons for female genital mutilation in Africa today.”

Note: This video includes graphic content of FGM being performed and FGM being surgically corrected.

https://youtu.be/pUpToERm0q0