#Little #girls are #forced to have their #genitals cut. We can #stop it.

Every Year, Three Million Little Girls Are Forced Into Surgeries Where Their Genitals Are Mutilated. It Must Stop Now. Sign Now Dear friends, How much do you know about FGM? Today, on International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation, we wanted to bring it to your attention. Though FGM may sound like a boring, bizarre acronym, it's actually the term for a horrific and dangerous practice — female genital mutilation. And it's happening to little girls in Malaysia and millions of other girls all over the world right now. Though these operations sound medical, they have nothing to do with health or a child's well-being. Instead, they're social practices in which parents and community leaders come together to keep little girls "in line" by stripping them of the ability to experience physical autonomy or sexual pleasure. Sometimes, perverse doctors perform these forced surgeries — other times, it's not even a medical professional, and there may be no anesthesia or sterilization of the knives, razors, or blades used. Like all governments, the central authorities in Malaysia are susceptible to public pressure and don't like bad PR. Will you sign the petition to tell Malaysia to ban FGM? Malaysia's status as the new, booming high-tech "wonderland" can't obscure the horrifying truth of what's happening to little children. In fact, it's worse than that, because these operations are often performed on actual babies. When females are between 40 days and 11 months old, their clitoral hoods are sliced open, severing their nerve endings permanently. These operations can lead to severe injuries, complications, and even death. The United Nations has deemed FGM a human rights violation. That hasn't deterred religious leaders in Malaysia, who issued a fatwa ruling in 2009 stating that these horrific procedures are mandatory for Muslims. More than 93 percent of Muslim Malaysian women have had the procedure forced upon them. Children should never be sexually sliced and tortured. The Malaysian government must put an end to female genital mutilation immediately. Sign the petition if you agree! Thank you for all that you do,   Miranda B. The Care2 Petitions Team P.S. This isn't just a little injury that heals quickly or that children don't notice. Instead, it causes life-long trauma and pain. Sign the petition to make sure no little girl ever has to experience this abuse again.