Little girls forced to have torturous genital procedures

Female Genital Mutilation Is Forced Surgery to Cut Little Girls' Genital Areas. It Must Stop Now. Sign Now Dear friends, How much do you know about FGM? It might sound like a strange, boring acronym, but it is actually a horrific and dangerous procedure called Female Genital Mutilation. FGM is the full or partial removal of external female genitalia. And it's what's happening to millions of little girls in the booming high-tech "wonderland" of Malaysia right now. Today is International Women's Day, and what's happening in Malaysia is a perfect reminder of why we need you to keep fighting for women's and girls' rights. Will you sign the petition to tell Malaysian authorities to ban FGM? These "procedures" might sound medical, but they're far from it. Instead, parents and community leaders force little girls into these operations in order to reduce or eliminate sexual pleasure, to keep girls "in line." When female children are between the ages of 40 days and 11 months old, their clitoral hoods are sliced open, drawing blood and severing nerve endings. These operations can even lead to complications and death. The United Nations has deemed FGM a human rights violation, but that hasn't deterred religious leaders in Malaysia. In 2009, they issued a fatwa ruling that these horrific procedures are mandatory for Muslims. More than 93 percent of Muslim Malaysian women have had the procedure forced upon them. Children are meant to be protected, nurtured, and cared for — not to be sliced and sexually tortured. The Malaysian government must put an end to female genital mutilation immediately. Sign the petition if you agree! Thank you,   Miranda B. The Care2 Petitions Team P.S. This isn't just a little injury that heals quickly or that children don't notice. Experts say it causes life-long psychological suffering and physical pain. Sign the petition to make sure no little girl ever has to experience this abuse again.