For the U.K., a nation of 64 million people, this number is staggering: An average of around 300 girls and women are being treated for FGM each month; not far off 100 per week, more than 10 every single day. The report’s findings have been an unsettling glimpse into the enormity of the practice and the problem—one which is now more visible, certainly, but still lacks the training and funding required before real changes can be implemented.
Former U.S. Rep. Mary Bono, who played a major role in the passing of a bill against FGM “holidays” (in which girls would be taken to their parents’ native countries to undergo the procedure), describes the latest findings as “disturbing on many levels.”
“Two thousand women may have been seen by medical professionals, but that doesn’t account for the many others who have suffered without any treatment,” Bono said. “Unfortunately, the issue is almost completely ignored in the U.S., even though it is occurring here as well.”
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