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Overview
Sometimes referred to as female genital mutilation (FGM), female circumcision, or female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), female genital cutting (FGC) is practiced on two to three million women and girls each year. It is prevalent in 28 countries in Africa, as well as certain areas of the Middle East and Asia. FGC is also practiced by immigrant populations living in Europe, the US, and other countries.
To find out how Tostan's programs have brought about a massive abandonment of the practice, please see our page on
abandoning female genital cutting
. Please also see our
evaluations
page for evaluations of Tostan related to FGC.
The WHO has identified four types of female genital cutting:
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Type 1 (also referred to as clitoridectomy) – cutting away of the clitoral hood, with or without removal of all or part of the clitoris.
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Type 2 (also referred to as excision) – removal of the clitoris, together with part or all of the labia minora (the inner vaginal lips). This is the most widely practiced form.
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Type 3 (also known as infibulation) – removal of part or all of the external genitalia (clitoris, labia minora and labia majora), and stitching or narrowing of the vaginal opening, leaving a very small opening, about the size of a matchstick, to allow for the flow of urine and menstrual blood.
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Type 4 covers a variety of procedures including: pricking, piercing, or incision of the clitoris and/or labia; stretching the clitoris and/or labia; burning of the clitoris and surrounding tissues; scraping of the vaginal orifice or cutting of the vagina; insertion of substances into the vagina to cause bleeding or to tighten or narrow it.
Immediate complications resulting from FGC include severe pain, infections, shock, and hemorrhage that can lead to death. The use of a single unsterilized instrument in cutting multiple girls may facilitate the transmission of HIV/AIDS. Some longer-term consequences include infertility and a dramatically elevated risk of labor complications such as hemorrhage, infection, maternal death, and stillbirth or brain damage of the baby.
For recent news about the abandonment of FGC in communities, please visit our
FGC Abandonment News
page.
To download a list of comprehensive FGC documents, click here
PDF English
PDF French
For a one-stop source on the most recent news about the practice of FGC worldwide, take the time to visit the
Female Genital Cutting News Blog
. This blog tracks all news stories that discuss FGC as the main subject, and is a good way to remain current and gain knowledge about the nature and impact of FGC around the world.
Recommended Documents
Articles by Gerry Mackie
, Professor of Political Science, University of California at San Diego
Gerry Mackie. 2000. Female Genital Cutting: The Beginning of the End.
In
Female Circumcision in Africa: Culture, Controversy and Change.
Bettina Shell-Duncan and Ylva Hernlund, eds. pp.253-281. Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Used by kind permission of Lynne Rienner Publishers.
PDF
Gerry Mackie. 1996. Ending Footbinding and Infibulation: A Convention Account
American Sociological Review, Vol. 61, No. 6: 999-1017.
Used by kind permission of the American Sociological Review.
PDF
Documents by UNICEF
Changing a Harmful Social Convention: FGM/C (2008)
PDF English
PDF French
Coordinated Strategy to Abandon FGM/C in One Generation: A Human Rights-Based Approach to Programming (2006)
Documents by Population Reference Bureau
Abandoning Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: an In-Depth Look at Promising Practices
PDF
Information on Female Genital Cutting: What Is Out There? What Is Needed?
PDF
Web Resources on Female Genital Cutting
The World Health Organization: Female Genital Mutilation
website
USAID: Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting
website
UNICEF
Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting
website
Childinfo: Younger women less likely than older women to have experience FGM/C
website
International Campaign for the Abandonment of Female Genital Mutilation: STREAM newsroom
website
Population and Health InfoShare
website
Population Council: Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting
website
UNFPA
Gender Equality: Calling for an End to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting
website
Promoting Gender Equality: Frequently Asked Questions on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting
website
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