“They Took Me and Told Me Nothing” Female Genital Mutilation in Iraqi Kurdistan

The report “‘They Took Me and Told Me Nothing’: Female Genital Mutilation in Iraqi Kurdistan,” documents the experiences of young girls and women who undergo FGM against a backdrop of conflicting messages from some religious leaders and healthcare professionals about the practice’s legitimacy and safety. The report describes the pain and fear that girls and young women experience when they are cut, and the terrible toll that it takes on their physical and emotional health. It says the regional government has been unwilling to prohibit FGM, despite its readiness to address other forms of gender-based violence, including domestic violence and so-called honor killings.