The World Health Organisation (WHO) distinguishes four major types of female genital mutilation:

• type I: Clitoridectomy: partial or total removal of the clitoris,
• type II: Excision: partial or total removal of the clitoris and the labia minora,
• type III: Infibulation: Partial or total excision of external genitalia and suture/narrowing of the vaginal opening,
• type IV: Others (pricking, piercing, incising…).

The reasons of this tradition

The main risk factor for genital mutilations is linked to traditional ethnic rather than religious practices. FGM is frequently a component of fertility or coming-of-age rituals, and are generally regarded as a way to ensure the chastity or “genital purity” of young women. It can be performed at any time between infancy and puberty until the age of 15.

The mutilation is performed by traditional (male or female) circumcisers, who often hold a crucial role in the life of the communities, frequently as midwives or healers. But the genital mutilations are also increasingly carried out by health professionals trained in modern medicine.

Consequences on health

Female genital mutilations present absolutely no health benefits and are harmful for women and young girls. Apart from inhibiting women’s genital pleasure, immediate and delayed complications include violent pains, septic shock, haemorrhage, tetanus, septicaemia, urine retention, or complications at childbirth.

Affected populations

The practice of excision is most common in Sub-Saharan Africa, in some regions of the Middle-East and in South-East Asia (Indonesia, Yemen, Malaysia). Despite official bans on excision in 15 African countries, FGM practices were recorded in 28 countries (e.g. Mali, Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt, Somalia, Guinea) as of October 2007.

Western countries hosting large communities of migrants take action against FGM practices on their national territory (e.g. France and the Malian community) and attempt to raise community awareness to the eradication of this practice in their own countries.

Progress to eliminate the Female Genital Mutilation

Progress made on a local and international scale over the past few years includes:

• a growing international commitment to eradicate female genital mutilations,
• establishment of international monitoring bodies and adoption of resolutions condemning the practice,
• revised legal frameworks and growing political support to eradicate FMG practices,
• in some countries, declining FGM practices and growing numbers of women and men declaring themselves in favour of their eradication in communities where they are traditionally practiced.

Recent research has revealed that the practice could disappear very quickly if these communities were to decide on their own to abandon female genital mutilations.