Discuss female genital mutilation as a harmful culture practical in the novel

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a deeply harmful cultural practice involving the partial or total removal of external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. It is often performed on young girls, from infancy up to adolescence, and is rooted in various cultural, religious, and social beliefs, often linked to controlling female sexuality, ensuring premarital virginity, or promoting social integration.

As a harmful practice, FGM has severe and lasting consequences. Physically, it can lead to immediate complications such as severe pain, hemorrhage, infection, and even death. Long-term health issues include chronic pain, recurrent urinary and vaginal infections, menstrual problems, cysts, infertility, and complications during childbirth, which can endanger both the mother and baby. Psychologically, survivors often experience trauma, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Many novels depict FGM to expose its brutality and the profound suffering it inflicts on women and girls, challenging the cultural justifications and advocating for its abandonment.