Female genital mutilation (FGM) robs women of their dignity, health, and fundamental human rights.
Imagine being a young girl, barely ten years old, and hearing your parents say you are about to “become a woman’’. But what follows is not a celebration of adolescence or a moment of joy.
Instead, you are held down by people you trust, while an unsterilized tool cuts away a part of your body that you do not understand yet. The pain is unbearable, the memory forever etched in your mind.
No anaesthesia, no explanation, just the hurt of betrayal and confusion. This is the reality of FGM for millions of women and girls worldwide.
What is FGM?
According to statistics from the World Health Organisation and UNICEF, 70% of girls under 15 undergo female genital mutilation while 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone FGM. 50% of them before age 5, 25% between ages 5-9, and 15% between ages 10-14.
Female genital mutilation refers to all procedures that involve the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.
It is a practice rooted in cultural, religious, and social norms. It is often tied to ideas about purity, modesty, or preparing a girl for marriage.
Despite being internationally recognized as a violation of human rights, female genital mutilation still occurs in 30 countries, primarily in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia (UNFPA, 2020).
I remember hearing about FGM for the first time from my friend Rukewe at university. She was from a small community in Nigeria where FGM was an unspoken tradition, passed down from generation to generation.
Rukewe shared her experience with me in a way that broke my heart. She described being seven years old and waking up to find her aunties in the house, smiling, as if everything was normal. What followed was a nightmare she would never forget. Her cries, she told me, were met with reassurances that this was “for her good.”
Health Complications: More Than Just Physical Scars
The immediate effects of FGM are horrific. Many girls experience severe bleeding, shock, and infection. Since these procedures are often carried out in unsanitary conditions using crude instruments like razors, knives, or even glass, the risk of infections like tetanus or sepsis is incredibly high.
Female genital mutilation leaves lasting physical and psychological scars including;
1. Chronic Pain: Many women live with ongoing pain long after the initial wound has healed. Everyday activities like walking, sitting, or even urinating can become painful.
This is due to complications from scarring and nerve damage.
2. Reproductive Health Issues: 68% of women and girls who underwent FGM reported experiencing physical health complications (WHO, 2018).
FGM can cause issues with menstruation, making it painful or difficult for women to pass menstrual blood. Some women develop cysts, abscesses, or scar tissue that blocks the vaginal opening. When it comes to childbirth, the risks skyrocket.
Women who have undergone FGM are more likely to suffer from obstetric complications, including prolonged labour, tearing, and increased chances of a C-section.
3. Sexual Dysfunction: FGM robs women of their ability to experience sexual pleasure. For many, sex becomes a source of pain rather than intimacy. This can strain relationships and lead to emotional distance from partners.
4. Psychological Trauma: 40% of girls who underwent female genital mutilation experienced emotional or psychological problems (UNICEF, 2020).
The emotional scars left by FGM are as deep as the physical ones. Many women who undergo FGM suffer from depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
The act itself is often so sudden, violent, and bewildering that it leaves deep emotional wounds. Survivors feel anger, shame, or betrayal—especially when FGM is framed as an act of love or protection by their families.
Why Does FGM Still Happen?
Despite the well-documented health risks and the condemnation of FGM by global organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO), it remains deeply entrenched in some communities.
It is often seen as a rite of passage or a way to control a girl’s sexuality. A way of ensuring she remains “chaste” until marriage.
In other cultures, there is a belief that a girl who has not undergone FGM would not be able to marry. And, of course, the family’s honour could be at stake.
In many cases, mothers and grandmothers perpetuate the practice. They having undergone it themselves believe they are doing what is best for their daughters. It is a tragic cycle, where love and violence become intertwined.
The Global Fight Against FGM
The good news is that change is happening, albeit slowly. Countries like Kenya, Nigeria, and Egypt have passed laws to ban female genital mutilation. In the West, there are growing movements within migrant communities to raise awareness about the dangers of FGM, and support networks are forming for survivors.
Global FGM prevalence declined from 30% to 24% between 2000 and 2017 and 24 African countries have banned female genital mutilation(UNICEF, 2020) but legal action is not enough.
Real change requires shifting deeply ingrained cultural beliefs. It means educating communities, providing alternatives to harmful rites of passage, and empowering girls and women to make choices about their bodies.
Final Thoughts
Ending FGM requires more than laws and policies—it demands empathy, education, and open conversations. Survivors like Rukewe show us the strength it takes to confront these practices and the importance of creating a world where no girl must endure the pain of female genital mutilation.
To those reading this, whether you know someone affected by FGM or are learning about it for the first time, the fight against this harmful practice requires everyone’s involvement.
It is not just a “women’s issue” it is a human issue. Let us continue the conversation, support survivors, and work towards a future where no girl or woman must bear the physical and emotional scars of FGM.
The body is sacred, and every woman deserves to feel whole in hers.
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