Ending a harmful ancient tradition

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a procedure performed on a woman or girl to alter or injure her genitalia for non-medical reasons. It most often involves the partial or total removal of her external genitalia. In some communities, FGM may be commonly referred to as ‘female circumcision’. However this term has been criticised as it can normalise the practice by drawing parallels with male circumcision without distinguishing its serious physical and psychological harm.

In many of the countries where female genital mutilation is performed, it is a deeply entrenched social norm rooted in gender inequality. The reasons behind the practice vary. In some cases, it is seen as a rite of passage into womanhood, while others see it as a way to suppress a woman’s sexuality. Many communities practice genital mutilation in the belief that it will ensure a girl's proper upbringing, future marriage or family honour. Some also associate it with religious beliefs, although no religious scriptures require it.
 

FGM has no health benefits and often leads to long-term medical complications, including severe pain, prolonged bleeding, infection, infertility and even death. It can also lead to increased risk of HIV transmission. Women who have undergone genital mutilation can experience complications during childbirth, including postpartum haemorrhage, stillbirth and early neonatal death. In addition to its physical risks, FGM is a violation of girls’ and women’s fundamental human rights.

While the exact number of girls and women worldwide who have undergone genital mutilation remains unknown, at least 200 million girls and women aged 15–49 from 30 countries have been subjected to the practice. Of these 200 million, more than half live in just three countries: Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia. The practice is almost universal in Djibouti, Guinea and Somalia, where over 90 per cent of women and girls undergo some form of genital mutilation or cutting.

Unless action to end female genital mutilation is accelerated now, another 68 million girls will have been cut by 2030.
 

In several countries, qualified medical practitioners now play a significant role in performing FGM. More than 20 million women and girls in just seven countries (Egypt, Sudan, Guinea, Djibouti, Kenya, Yemen and Nigeria) have undergone female genital mutilation by a health care provider. Medicalizing the practice does not make it safer, as it still removes and damages healthy and normal tissue and interferes with the natural functions of girls’ and women’s bodies.

In many communities, the practice has been driven underground rather than ended, leading to girls being subjected to cutting at younger ages amidst greater secrecy.

Ending female genital mutilation takes work at many levels, including action by families and communities, protection and care services for girls and women, laws, and political commitment at the local, regional, national and international levels.

UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) jointly lead the largest global program to end FGM. The program supports zero tolerance laws and policies, while working with health workers to both eliminate genital mutilation and provide care to women and girls who have undergone the procedure. Recent data show that in countries where it is prevalent, the majority of men and women oppose the practice, but they often keep these beliefs hidden for fear of being rejected by their communities. To help reshape these perceptions, the UNICEF-UNFPA programme works with communities to openly discuss and voice support for ending FGM.

Since the UNICEF/UNFPA Joint Program was established in 2008, 13 countries have passed national legislation banning FGM. The program also provided access to prevention, protection and treatment services for more than 3.3 million girls and women. As a result of a community-led engagement, more than 34.6 million people in over 21,700 communities made public declarations against FGM.

Over the past three decades, there has been an overall decline in the prevalence in female genital mutilation – and momentum is growing. With our continued action, we can work together to end FGM by 2030.