Russians who practice female genital
mutilation (FGM) could face ten years imprisonment under a new bill,
the Meduza news website reported Friday.
The bill says that
FGM “has no place in a civilized society,” and was presented to
parliament by
United Russia deputy Maria
Maksakova-Igenbergs.
“FGM is mutilation based on sexual discrimination,” said Maksakova-Igenbergs. “Those carrying it out believe that they must do so to protect women from an 'immoral lifestyle.'”
A
report on the practice of FGM in the Russian republic of Dagestan was
published earlier this week by the Russian Justice Initiative human rights
foundation. The report found that the practice was taking place
predominantly in five mountainous areas of the republic, where the
operation is normally performed on girls under the age of three. On
rare occasions, girls as old as 12 had also been subjected to the
operation, according to the report.
While many rushed to condemn the practice, an Islamic cleric from Russia’s North Caucasus, Ismail Berdiev, defended its use, calling for all Russian women to undergo FGM to combat "sexual immorality."
FGM
is an internationally recognized crime, with the practice
predominantly carried out in northern Africa. As well as being
at a higher risk of maternal mortality, women who have undergone FGM
often report difficulty urinating and passing menstrual flow,
fertility problems, chronic pain, and psychological trauma.
Maria Maksakova-Igenbergs will not be standing in this September's State Duma elections, having failed to win a spot on the party list at the United Russia primaries in May. She has since alleged that the vote was fixed.
