Female genital mutilation

"FGM" redirects here. For other uses, see FGM (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Vaginoplasty, Labiaplasty, Labia stretching, or Vulvoplasty.

Billboard with surgical tools covered by a red X. Sign reads: STOP FEMALE CIRCUMCISION. IT IS DANGEROUS TO WOMEN'S HEALTH. FAMILY PLANNING ASSOCIATION OF UGANDA
Anti-FGM road sign near Kapchorwa, Uganda, 2004
Definition"Partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons" (WHO, UNICEF, and UNFPA, 1997).[1]
AreasAfrica, Southeast Asia, Middle East, and within communities from these areas[2]
NumbersOver 230 million women and girls worldwide: 144 million in Africa, 80 million in Asia, 6 million in Middle East, and 1-2 million in other parts of the world (as of 2024)[3][4]
AgeDays after birth to puberty[5]
Prevalence
Ages 15–49
Ages 0–14
Sex and the law
Social issues
Specific offences
(varies by jurisdiction)
Sex offender registration
Portals

Female genital mutilation (FGM) (also known as female genital cutting, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and female circumcision[a]) is the cutting or removal of some or all of the vulva for non-medical reasons. FGM prevalence varies worldwide, but is majorly present in some countries of Africa, Asia and Middle East, and within their diasporas. As of 2024, UNICEF estimates that worldwide 230 million girls and women (144 million in Africa, 80 million in Asia, 6 million in Middle East, and 1-2 million in other parts of the world) had been subjected to one or more types of FGM.[3]

Typically carried out by a traditional cutter using a blade, FGM is conducted from days after birth to puberty and beyond. In half of the countries for which national statistics are available, most girls are cut before the age of five.[7] Procedures differ according to the country or ethnic group. They include removal of the clitoral hood (type 1-a) and clitoral glans (1-b); removal of the inner labia (2-a); and removal of the inner and outer labia and closure of the vulva (type 3). In this last procedure, known as infibulation, a small hole is left for the passage of urine and menstrual fluid, the vagina is opened for intercourse and opened further for childbirth.[8]

The practice is rooted in gender inequality, attempts to control female sexuality, religious beliefs and ideas about purity, modesty, and beauty. It is usually initiated and carried out by women, who see it as a source of honour, and who fear that failing to have their daughters and granddaughters cut will expose the girls to social exclusion.[9] Adverse health effects depend on the type of procedure; they can include recurrent infections, difficulty urinating and passing menstrual flow, chronic pain, the development of cysts, an inability to get pregnant, complications during childbirth, and fatal bleeding.[8] There are no known health benefits.[10]

There have been international efforts since the 1970s to persuade practitioners to abandon FGM, and it has been outlawed or restricted in most of the countries in which it occurs, although the laws are often poorly enforced. Since 2010, the United Nations has called upon healthcare providers to stop performing all forms of the procedure, including reinfibulation after childbirth and symbolic "nicking" of the clitoral hood.[11] The opposition to the practice is not without its critics, particularly among anthropologists, who have raised questions about cultural relativism and the universality of human rights.[12] According to the UNICEF, international FGM rates have risen significantly in recent years, from an estimated 200 million in 2016 to 230 million in 2024, with progress towards its abandonment stalling or reversing in many affected countries.[13]

  1. ^ WHO 2014.
  2. ^ UNICEF 2013, 5.
  3. ^ a b "Female genital mutilation (FGM)". UNICEF. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  4. ^ a b c UNICEF 2016.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference UNICEF2013p50 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Nussbaum 1999, 119.
  7. ^ For the circumcisers and blade: UNICEF 2013, 2, 44–46; for the ages: 50.
  8. ^ a b Abdulcadir et al. 2011.
  9. ^ UNICEF 2013, 15; Toubia & Sharief 2003.
  10. ^ WHO 2018.
  11. ^ UN 2010; Askew et al. 2016.
  12. ^ Shell-Duncan 2008, 225; Silverman 2004, 420, 427.
  13. ^ Kimeu, Caroline (8 March 2024). "Dramatic rise in women and girls being cut, new FGM data reveals". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 12 March 2024. Many African countries have experienced a steady decline in the practice over the past few decades, but overall progress has stalled or been reversed.


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