What is FGM (Female Genital Mutilation)?

Why is FGM Performed?

Despite the harm it causes, FGM persists in many communities due to deeply rooted social and cultural beliefs. Families often face intense pressure to have their daughters cut so they're accepted within their community.

Common reasons given include:

• Social acceptance: In some communities, FGM is seen as a necessary step for girls to be considered marriageable or to maintain family honour.

• Misconceptions about hygiene and femininity: Some believe FGM makes girls cleaner or more beautiful, though these beliefs have no basis in fact.

• Religious justification: While FGM is sometimes claimed to be a religious requirement, no major religion—including Islam or Christianity—mandates it.

• Cultural tradition: In communities where FGM has been practiced for generations, families may see it as safeguarding their daughters' futures and preserving cultural identity.

What's encouraging is that attitudes are shifting. Around 400 million people in practicing countries in Africa and the Middle East—two-thirds of the population—now oppose FGM.

FGM has no health benefits. Instead, it causes severe and lasting harm.

Immediate complications include:

• Severe pain and bleeding

• Shock and trauma

• Difficulty urinating

• Infections, including tetanus and sepsis

• In some cases, death

Long-term health consequences can include:

• Chronic pain and recurring infections

• Complications during childbirth, including dangerous bleeding and increased risk of newborn deaths

• Painful menstruation and urinary problems

• Cysts, abscesses, and excessive scar tissue

• Psychological trauma, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder

• Reduced sexual pleasure and painful intercourse

The risk of complications is greater with more severe forms of FGM, particularly Type 3.

Selma, 14: "Most of the audience will believe the same thing could happen to their own daughters"

Selma lives in Ethiopia's Somali region, where female genital mutilation and child marriage have been common for generations. But today, she's part of a Save the Children-supported Child Club where young people are learning to become powerful campaigners for girls' rights.

One of the ways they spread the message is through theatre and street drama. Selma has helped write these performances and stars in them too.

"I play the mother of a girl who undergoes FGM and who dies," says Selma. "Most of the audience will believe that the same thing could happen to their own daughters. It might change their mindset."

It's working. Since our programme launched in 2020, Selma's Child Club and others like it have helped prevent 211 child marriages and 416 cases of FGM across three districts in the region. More girls are staying in school and pursuing their education.

Through the Child Club, Selma and her peers visit communities, religious leaders, and women who previously performed FGM to educate them about the harmful impacts on both girls and boys. They perform at International Women's Day events, during the 16 Days of Activism, and at public gatherings—using songs, drama, and short films to engage communities.

The change has been dramatic. "We have totally eradicated FGM," says Selma. "It doesn't exist in this area. Those found performing FGM are jailed. Even women who used to perform the practice have now refused to continue."

Selma doesn't want to stop there. "I want to be the leader of Save the Children," she says. "I love helping vulnerable people."

Hido: "Today, I think that what I did is horribly wrong"

Hido* used to carry out FGM in her community in Somalia. Now she's working to prevent it.

"Today, I think that what I did is horribly wrong," she says. "Every night, I pray for forgiveness. I don't know how many girls I have operated on, but at least fifty.

"I used to consider circumcising girls as an important part of our tradition, and it was my livelihood. Then I met the women of TASS [an organisation Save the Children works with] and Save the Children, and decided to stop".

Hido is now a strong advocate against FGM. She volunteers and goes door-to-door, talking to women.

She says: "They know me from before, and where I come from, which is why they listen to what I have to say. Already now, we are seeing results."

Mohamed, 13: "No one can stop an educated girl"

"I am part of a group that works to prevent violence against girls," says 13-year-old Mohamed, a member of a Save the Children-supported Child Club in Ethiopia's Somali region.

At the club, Mohamed has learned about the devastating impact of female genital mutilation—a traditional practice that has harmed girls in this part of Ethiopia for generations.

"Cutting parts of a girl's body hurts her and she feels pain," he says. "I have also learned about the effects of early marriage, and the effects of inequality between boys and girls."

Determined to change things, Mohamed and his fellow Child Club members use theatre and street drama to spread the message. "We did a play against early marriage and FGM," says Mohamed. "I believe it will help shift people's mindset."

It seems to be working. The Child Club visits families and communities to raise awareness, and they've seen real results. "Nowadays, the practice of FGM has decreased and early marriage cases are fewer," says Mohamed. "Inequality among siblings has also decreased. I believe awareness has made a difference."

What makes Mohamed's voice particularly powerful is that he's a boy speaking up for girls' rights. In communities where harmful practices are often enforced by both men and women, male advocates like Mohamed help challenge traditional attitudes and show that gender equality benefits everyone.

Mohamed has big dreams for the future—to become president of Ethiopia so he can make an even greater difference. "I will eradicate early marriage... promote equality... eliminate harmful practices against girls," he says.

He plans to appoint women to top positions in his government. As he puts it: "No one can stop an educated girl."