Save my bean: Netizens pick up campaign against FGM

The fight against Female genital mutilation (FGM) has been faced with both resistance and acceptance as the scourge still continues to affect women in Kenya and Africa at large.

The Effort to protect young girls and women from FGM has been plagued with setbacks as women are still subjected to FGM behind closed doors in their homes and even clinics. In some areas, there are parents who are apparently colluding with medical personnel to conduct the cut.

According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2014, FGM is the partial or total removal of the external genitalia of girls and women including the clitoris and the labia minora and majora.

Traditionally, the cut is performed with almost no anesthesia and regard to safety measures. This leaves victims facing the risk of bleeding to death, dying from infection or experiencing serious complications during childbirth.

Although there are no scientifically proven benefits to FGM, some women willingly go through with the practice in order to fulfil their cultural obligation.

In recent reports, five Kenyan women were arrested for willingly procuring FGM services amongst themselves. One of them, a 25 year-old, claimed that her grandmother had assured her it was the best thing to do.

FGM is regarded as a global issue and it is recognized internationally as a violation of the rights of women and girls. Many national, regional and international activists have developed programs to advocate for, and support, its abandonment.

The campaign to obliterate FGM has recently been propelled on social media through a hashtag #ClitIsGold that has been trending on Twitter, where netizens shared their opinions towards the subject.

Here are some of the tweets:       

#ClitIsGold Despite the fact that traditions and customs are important, some of this processes are archaic, barbaric and the leave the victim in depression change with times Dont torture people.

In The World 200 Million Have undergone some forms of FGM. 3Million girls and Women are at risk of undergoing through it. In Africa, 6 out 10 are young women aged between 10 to 25 years and are at risk of undergoing through FGM. Let's end this act #ClitIsGold

Don't subject our girls to both physical and mental pain. FGM should be an outdated malpractice. Protect them all. #ClitIsGold

I mean a poor defenseless girl is bleeding to death. Masks off please.Take your headphones out for once and just listen to the plight of these young ladies that are losing that tiny organs that make them women #ClitIsGold #KOTLoyals