Dagestan becomes centre of female circumcision problem in Northern Caucasus

In Dagestan, the problem of female circumcision is particularly acute. Every year, about 1240 girls undergo the female genital mutilation procedures in the republic. In Chechnya, older women were subjected to female circumcision, the "Eto Kavkaz" reports.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that a woman from Chechnya has succeeded in seeking the institution of a criminal case in Ingushetia about the intentional infliction of harm to the health of her nine-year-old daughter. The woman claims that her former husband, without her knowledge, took the girl to a clinic, where the girl had been subjected to a female circumcision procedure.

The Chechen woman also said that she herself underwent a similar female genital mutilation procedure. According to her, the procedure was a prerequisite for marriage, put forward by relatives of the groom.

Seda, a relative of the woman, notes that the practice of female circumcision is usually not made public.

In the Caucasus, the topic of female circumcision is taboo even in scientific works, notes Chechen ethnographer Zulai Khasbulatova.

Let us remind you that in Dagestan, a wide discussion of the problem of female circumcision was launched in August 2016, after the survey conducted by the NGO "Legal Initiative". Human rights defenders note that girls are subjected to female genital mutilation procedures with the support of religious figures.