Female Genital Mutilation (FGM): Useful Information to Understand and Address It

In recent years, several African countries have introduced or strengthened laws against FGM, but research shows that the most significant changes occur when local communities themselves (religious leaders, individual women, and/or women’s organizations) lead the abandonment of the practice. Examples include Sudan, which in 2020 made FGM a criminal offense under the national Penal Code; Kenya, which strengthened child protection through the Children’s Act (2022); Gambia, which witnessed significant civil action in response to a government proposal to revoke the ban (in effect since 2015); and countries such as Nigeria, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Togo, Uganda, Djibouti, and the Central African Republic, which have introduced formal bans, often in line with the Maputo Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa, urging African states to prohibit FGM.

Even in Italy, the phenomenon is often invisible but exists. Recent estimates by the Italian Istituto Superiore di Sanità indicate that around 80,000 women who have undergone FGM live in Italy. Most affected women were born abroad, but FGM is a global issue that knows no borders.

What is FGM?

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) includes all procedures involving partial or total removal of external female genitalia or other injuries to female genital organs for non-medical reasons. FGM has no health benefits or any positive impact on a woman’s life. It is:

• a violation of human rights
• an extreme form of gender discrimination
• a serious health risk

FGM can cause immediate and long-term complications, including:

• Immediate risks: severe pain, heavy bleeding, tissue swelling, fever, infections (including tetanus), urinary problems, injuries to surrounding tissues, shock, and in severe cases, death.
•  Long-term complications: chronic infections, menstrual problems, vaginal pain and infections, scarring, painful sexual intercourse, fertility issues, complications during childbirth, increased risk of neonatal death, psychological trauma.

In some cases, medical intervention such as deinfibulation may be required, which reopens the vaginal opening to improve health, allow sexual intercourse, and facilitate childbirth.

FGM is often linked to social norms, collective expectations, and traditions, including social pressure and fear of exclusion, rites of passage to adulthood, and beliefs about virginity and fidelity. Girls are often subjected to FGM at a very young age and cannot provide informed consent.

Common Stereotypes about FGM

Many false beliefs surround FGM, which is why the practice persists. Let’s clarify:

 ❌ “FGM is required by religion.”
✅ No religion, including Islam or Christianity (including Coptic Christianity), requires FGM. The practice predates monotheistic religions and is cultural, not religious. For more information, you can consult resources such as ActionAid, the Italian Ministry of Health, and the Religious Association of Socio-Health Institutes (ARIS).

❌ “FGM is practiced only in Muslim communities.”
✅ False. It occurs in communities of various religions, though it is unrelated to faith.

❌ “FGM only happens in Africa.”
✅ FGM has affected over 200 million women worldwide and exists on all continents except Antarctica. It is absent in some African countries and is also found in parts of Asia and the Middle East.

❌ “FGM is practiced only in rural or uneducated communities.”
✅ False. FGM spans cultures and socioeconomic classes.

❌ “FGM is safer if performed in hospitals.”
✅ Medicalization does not make FGM safe. It still causes severe physical and psychological harm and remains a human rights violation.

FGM in Italy

In Italy, FGM is a criminal offense. According to Law no. 7/2006 and Article 583-bis of the Italian Penal Code:

• those who perform FGM without medical necessity face 4 to 12 years in prison;
• penalties increase if the practice is performed on a minor or for profit;
• The law applies even if the practice is carried out abroad by Italian citizens or foreign residents in Italy.
  

Italy is also a signatory to the Istanbul Convention (2011), which recognizes violence against women as a human rights violation. Women who fear undergoing FGM or have already experienced it can request international protection (asylum) in Italy. In the practical guide for asylum seekers you can find information on accessing these procedures.

Healthcare professionals in Italy are increasingly trained to recognize signs of FGM and provide appropriate care. Data show, encouragingly, that the practice is declining among younger generations in many countries, but continued efforts are needed to eliminate it completely.

What to Do if You Have Undergone FGM and Need Help

If you or someone you know is at risk of FGM or living with its consequences, services in Italy are available through:

• Local health services (contact your family doctor directly);
• Anti-violence centers (find the nearest center using the interactive map by Casa delle Donne per Non Subire Violenza – Bologna);
• Social services;
• Organizations supporting migrant women (e.g., Associazione Nosotras in Florence, Differenza Donna in Rome, CeSDI in Livorno).

FGM is not a cultural obligation but a human rights violation. Protecting girls and women means protecting their health, dignity, and future.