Urgent Call for UK Policy Revision on Female Genital Mutilation

On Nov 23, 2023

TL/DR –

Female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) is a global health and human rights issue, affecting over 200 million women and girls with medically unnecessary genital cutting. The World Health Organization defines FGM/C as the “partial or total removal of external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.” Increasing migration from countries with higher FGM/C prevalence to lower prevalence regions like the UK has triggered efforts among health professionals and policy makers to understand and minimize the risk for women and girls from these communities.

Understanding Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) and Its Global Prevalence

Female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) is recognized as a critical health and human rights issue around the globe. It’s estimated that over 200 million women and girls worldwide have undergone various forms of non-medically essential genital cutting, not including those who have opted for elective genital “cosmetic” surgery. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this also qualifies as FGM/C, irrespective of consent. FGM/C is practiced in numerous societies for diverse sociocultural reasons, impacting women and girls of varying ages. It is often seen as a structured rite of passage into adulthood. The increasing migration from FGM/C prevalent countries to regions with lower incidences like the UK has led to growing efforts among health professionals and policy makers to reduce the risk for women and girls from these communities.

WHO Definition and Classification of Female Genital Mutilation

The World Health Organization defines female genital mutilation as all practices involving the “partial or total removal of external female genitalia or other non-medical injury to the female genital organs”. It is increasingly argued that these practices should be referred to as female genital cutting due to the biased and inconsistent connotations of the term “mutilation”. We use FGM/C as an abbreviation in recognition of this controversy.

WHO recognizes four main types of FGM/C:

Type 1—Partial or total removal of the clitoral glans or prepuce, or both.
Type 2—Partial or total removal of the clitoral glans or labia minora, or both, with or without excision of the labia majora.

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