Genital mutilation on rise in Covid-19 constrained in Africa The pandemic has created a perfect storm for proponents of cutting: vulnerable girls stuck at home without teachers’ protection 07 February 2021 - 08:13 Nita Bhalla This photo taken on January 30 2018 shows a warning sign against female genital mutilation (FGM) in Katabok village, northeast Uganda. Picture: GETTY IMAGES/AFP PHOTO/YASUYOSHI CHIBA Nairobi — When Margaret heard the family making plans for her genital cutting ceremony last August, the 15-year-old Kenyan schoolgirl knew there was no room for negotiation. Her school in rural, western Kenya had been closed for five months due to the pandemic, and with no certainty when classes would resume, Margaret's parents decided she should wed.