One in Four FGM Cases Now Performed by Medical Professionals

Title: WHO Urges Health Sector to Help Eradicate Medicalized Female Genital Mutilation

While healthcare professionals are vital to ending female genital mutilation (FGM) and supporting survivors, alarming new data reveals that in many areas, health workers are actually contributing to the harmful practice.

As of 2020, roughly 52 million women and girls — or one in every four affected individuals — had undergone FGM at the hands of a medical professional.

“Health workers must serve as agents of change, not as enablers of this abuse,” stressed Dr. Pascale Allotey, Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research at the World Health Organization (WHO). She condemned FGM as a “severe violation of girls’ rights” that puts their physical and mental well-being at risk.

FGM — even when performed in clinical settings — can cause long-term physical and psychological harm, WHO emphasized in a statement issued Monday. In fact, so-called “medicalized” FGM can lead to deeper and more dangerous injuries.

To counter this trend, WHO released new guidelines urging healthcare providers, governments, and communities to take decisive action against the continued practice.

FGM in Decline, but Risks Persist

FGM refers to the partial or total removal of external female genitalia for non-medical reasons. While global efforts have significantly reduced its prevalence — a girl today is one-third as likely to undergo FGM as she was in 1990 — the practice remains widespread in 30 countries, putting approximately four million girls at risk each year.

The consequences of FGM range from chronic pain and psychological trauma to complications during childbirth and the need for later surgical interventions. WHO’s updated recommendations call for improved care for survivors throughout their lives and stronger preventive interventions.

Health Workers as Influencers

According to WHO, healthcare providers have the potential to act as powerful voices against FGM by shifting community attitudes and helping to prevent the practice.

“Research shows that health workers can be influential opinion leaders,” said Christina Pallitto, a WHO scientist and senior author of the agency’s latest study. “Engaging doctors, nurses, and midwives is essential as we work toward ending FGM and safeguarding the health of women and girls.”

Progress has already been made in several countries. For instance, Burkina Faso has cut FGM rates among 15–19-year-olds by 50% over the past 30 years. Sierra Leone has seen a reduction of 35% and Ethiopia 30%, thanks to legal enforcement and robust prevention programs.

Training for Change

In 2022, WHO launched a specialized training package for primary care professionals. The program equips health workers to have respectful, culturally sensitive conversations about the dangers of FGM and how to support affected individuals.

“Because of this training, I am now able to educate women about FGM and explain its harmful impacts,” one health worker shared at the program’s rollout.

As momentum builds, WHO continues to emphasize that ending FGM is within reach — but only if health workers become champions of change, rather than participants in this deeply damaging tradition.