Somalia sees "massive" rise in FGM during lockdown and Ramadan

Emma Batha - Thomson Reuters Foundation

This article from the Thomson Reuters Foundation reports on the increase of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Somalia as a result of the lockdowns enacted to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Sadia Allin, Plan International’s head of mission in Somalia, "said families in Somalia were taking advantage of school closures to carry out FGM so that the girls had time to recover from the ritual, which can take weeks." Furthermore, "restrictions on movement during the lockdown were making it harder to raise awareness of the dangers of FGM in communities."