New Delhi, Feb 6 (IANS): Indian footballers took a stand on the 'International Day for Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)', stating that malpractice needs to be stopped immediately to give an equal chance to children.

"Women in our society have grown a lot, and have gone on to do great things. But the dark underbelly of such backward practices as genital mutilation for girls still exists. Such practices tend to take away the individuality and self-confidence out of such children," said the former Indian women's team captain Oinam Bembem Devi.

"As a society, we should condemn such practices and make sure that every child in our country has a proper childhood with a decent education, and that they have the opportunity to grow up and become what they want to. Only then can we progress as a nation," she further stated.

Female genital mutilation is an ancient practice that is still followed across many places in the world, including certain regions in India as well.

Indian women's football team forward Ngangom Bala Devi was vocal about the basic human rights of all children, especially little girls, and said that such practices have no place in modern society.

"The good thing in India is that we have begun the conversation of giving equal rights to women across different fields. But as long as such backward practices exist in our country, we cannot fulfill such dreams," said Bala Devi.

"These are violations of basic human rights, and we need to dive deep into the misogynistic mindset and root out such perceptions. Only then will we truly be able to see equality take place in our society," she added.