Savera UK provides support for professionals dealing with Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Honour Based Abuse and Harmful practices, more information can be found on their wesite.
What is FGM?
Female Genital Mutilation (or cutting) comprises of all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons (World Health Organisation WHO, 2013).
FGM has no health benefits and harms girls and women in many ways. It involves removing and damaging healthy and normal female genital tissue, and interferes with the natural function of girls’ and women’s bodies. The harmful practice causes severe pain and has several immediate and long-term health consequences, including difficulties in childbirth also causing dangers to the unborn (Savera UK, 2024).
As well as being known as Female genital mutilation or FGM the practice is also known under the following pseudonyms
- Female genital cutting
- “The cut”
- Female circumcision
- Initiation
- Sunna (type 1, type 4)
- Khifad
- Khitan
- Khatana
- Bondo
- Pharaonic (type 3)
- As there are a lot of terms – Please refer to National FGM Centre for more information
HM Government - Multi agency statutory guidance on female genital mutilation
Normal female genital anatomy
The 4 different types of FGM
Type 1 Clitoridectomy: Involves removing the fold of skin surrounding the clitoris with or without excision of part or all of the clitoris, a small sensitive and erectile part of the female genitals.
Type 2: Excision: Excision removes the prepuce and clitoris together with partial or total excision of the labia minora
Type 3: Infibulation: This removes part or all of the external genitalia and stitches/ narrows the vaginal opening. (In northwest Nigeria, infibulation is often performed after a clitoridectomy)
Type 4 Other: Unclassified – includes all other procedures such as pricking, piercing or incising of the clitoris and or labia; stretching of the clitoris and or labia; cauterisation by burning of the clitoris and surrounding tissue; scraping of the tissue surrounding the vagina; corrosive substances of herbs into the vagina to cause bleeding.
Other harmful practices
Harmful practices deny children their dignity and integrity whilst violating their human rights. They are grounded in discrimination on the basis of sex, gender, age and other factors.
- Breast Flattening - The process during which young girls’ breasts are ironed or flattened down over a period of time in order for the breasts to disappear or delay the development of the breasts entirely.
- Scarring or Branding – Scarring or branding is a process by which a mark or symbol is cut or burned into the skin of a living person, usually completed as a ritual process.
- Trokosi: Trokosi is a traditional system where virgin girls, some as young as six years old, are sent to shrines as slaves to make amends for wrongs committed by a member of the virgin girl's family
- Menstruation Ostracism – Being asked to isolate during menstruation. Sometimes women and children around the world have to leave their family home during this time.
Profile of cutters
- Elderly women in the community
- Male barbers (Nigeria and Egypt)
- Herbalist
- Female relative
- Medical professionals (23%) +
Instruments used
Female Genital Mutilation is often carried out with unsterilized instruments:
- Special knives
- Scissors
- Scalpels
- Pieces of glass
- Fingernails for babies
- Razor blades main instrument
- Some cutters cut up to 10 girls with same razor
FGM has immediate health implications
- Severe pain
- Shock
- Infection
- Excessive bleeding
- Urine retention
- Haemorrhaging
- Death
- Fracture of bones or dislocation of joints as a result of restraint
- Damage to other organs