Uncut Voices: Breaking the Silence on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

The gift of a voice where before there was only silence.

Silence may be the rust on the razor with which they threatened to cut my throat. 

but it was not my tongue they cut. -Ifrah Ahmed (United Youth of Ireland/ Ifrah Foundation)

Ifrah Ahmed was born in Mogadishu, Somalia in 1989. At the age of eight years old, Ahmed underwent female genital mutilation at the hands of a family member who was a licensed doctor. At 17, Ifrah Ahmed fled Somalia's Ethiopian War, seeking refuge in Ireland in 2006. Facing language barriers and trauma from her own experience with female genital mutilation (FGM), Ahmed soon realized FGM was not common in Ireland as it was in Somalia. Determined to advocate for change, she returned to school, and eventually, Ahmed became the first woman to publicly share her FGM story in Ireland, igniting awareness and action against the practice.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), female genital mutilation (FGM) is the inhumane cutting and removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. The practice of FGM is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. Reflecting deep-rooted inequality between the sexes, FGM constitutes an extreme form of discrimination. It is prevalent in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and within their respective diasporas. 

According to the World Health Organization, 230 million girls and women alive today have undergone FGM. At current rates, an additional estimated 68 million girls face being cut by 2030.

Usually carried out by traditional practitioners on minors, FGM is a violation of the rights of children. The practice also infringes on a person's rights to health, security, and physical integrity. It disregards the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment. It also threatens the right to life in instances when the practice results in death. According to a recent study done by researchers from the Universities of Birmingham and Exeter suggests that FGM may account for approximately 44,320 excess deaths annually in countries where it remains prevalent, ranking it as a leading cause of death among young girls, second only to diseases like respiratory infections and malaria in these regions.

In the United States, it is estimated that around 513,000 to 545,000 women and girls are at risk of or have already experienced FGM. This number includes both immigrants from countries where FGM is traditionally practiced and their U.S.-born daughters. 

According to Equality Now, testimony supporting the Female Genital Mutilation Prohibition Act of 2021 estimate that approximately 51,000 women and girls have undergone FGM in the District of Columbia which, ranks as the second most prevalent area for this practice in the United States after California. Although Congress passed a federal law banning FGM and the transport of women and girls from the U.S. to other countries for this procedure, Washington, D.C. still lacks its own legislation prohibiting FGM. While 41 states, including neighboring Maryland and Virginia, have laws criminalizing FGM, further legislation is essential to ensure stronger protections and a unified stance against this harmful practice in all jurisdictions. In 2017 there was a high-profile case in Michigan that led to federal charges against a physician who allegedly performed FGM on young girls, drawing attention to the ongoing risk of FGM even within the U.S. 

Healthcare professionals need to understand the severe and lasting impacts the procedure can have on the physical and psychological well-being of women and girls. FGM can lead to death, extreme pain and shock, broken limbs from being forcibly restrained, urine retention, and a heightened risk of HIV/AIDS. It also increases the likelihood of infections in the uterus, vagina, and pelvis, along with cysts, neuromas, and fistulas. Women who have undergone FGM often face complications in childbirth, experience depression, post-natal depression, psychosexual issues, menstrual difficulties, post-traumatic stress disorder, and infertility.

Many affected communities view FGM as an essential tradition to ensure a girl’s acceptance within the community and her eligibility for marriage. Families who practice FGM often see it as a way to secure the girl’s future. Other reasonings include preserving her virginity, marking her passage into womanhood, enhancing her social standing, protecting family honor, and perceived religious reasons. However, no religion advocates for FGM. FGM serves as a powerful tool of control; dictating when, how and with whom a women can have sexual relations, stripping her of bodily autonomy, and creating futures where sexual pleasure is not only taboo but also unattainable. This perpetuates a cycle of gender-based control.

Enduring the trauma of FGM left a lasting pain that consumed every part of my being. For years, I felt like an outsider among other women, as though parts of my womanhood had been taken along with my childhood. FGM has left me with constant pain, chronic depression, panic disorder, and an increased risk of infertility. However, I choose to break the silence imposed by taboo, using my voice wherever possible. We are all women, united by shared fears, and we are all entitled to the same human rights, regardless of where we come from.

Project 2025’s agenda to restructure health and human services to promote a "Department of Life" suggests an ideological shift that could deprioritize programs addressing reproductive health issues like FGM, which disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. Women who have undergone FGM may experience prolonged labor, resulting in a higher likelihood of emergency C-sections, severe tearing, or other complications. This obstructed labor can also lead to complications like fistulas, abnormal openings that form between the birth canal and bladder or rectum. They can lead to incontinence and infections. Additionally, women with FGM face a greater risk of postpartum hemorrhage and infant mortality​.

The trauma of FGM often intersects with other forms of gender-based violence, including sexual assault. Research indicates that FGM is associated with a lack of bodily autonomy and control, which can increase a woman's vulnerability to rape. Victims of FGM who survive rape often face additional complications during childbirth, compounding both physical and emotional trauma​. In regions where reproductive health care is limited, these women may not have access to specialized care to manage complications from FGM. As reproductive health services continue to be cut, critical resources including emergency obstetric care, surgical repair for FGM-related injuries, sexual health education, and access to contraceptives become even more difficult to obtain. The restrictive policies only heighten these barriers, often leaving survivors without necessary medical and psychological support. 

At Spelman College, we are dedicated to advancing reproductive justice, which includes raising awareness about FGM. By integrating FGM into our conversations on reproductive rights, we can drive impactful, community-centered initiatives. Through partnerships with organizations like the Ifrah Foundation, Global Woman’s P.E.A.C.E. Foundation, and End FGM US Network, we can host survivor-led panels that amplify real stories and foster empathy. Collaboration with medical schools can prepare future doctors to compassionately support FGM survivors, and monthly trauma-informed support circles through Spelman’s counseling and wellness services can provide survivors with a safe, supportive space. Together, we can build awareness, advocate for change, and support survivors.

Students can actively campaign against Project 2025 by organizing letter-writing drives to lawmakers, opposing policies that threaten reproductive health programs. By lobbying for state-level legislation to enforce strict FGM bans and fund educational programs about FGM in schools, we can influence policies locally. It is equally important to support legislation like the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and similar state laws that protect the right to access comprehensive reproductive and mental health services.

Lastly, encouraging students to vote down-ballot in local and state elections is crucial. Voting for candidates who prioritize reproductive health and rights for vulnerable populations can directly impact local health funding, public school curriculums, and public healthcare access. Informational voter workshops and campaigns on campus can help students understand how their votes impact issues like FGM and reproductive justice on a systemic level. Voting in these smaller elections directly affects the services and support systems available to survivors. Through these targeted actions, we can create a movement that not only raises awareness but actively supports survivors and challenges policies that threaten reproductive health. 

The time to change the world is NOW. 

References

UNHCR. (n.d.). Ifrah Ahmed: Prominent supporter. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Retrieved December 6, 2024, from https://www.unhcr.org/us/prominent-supporters/ifrah-ahmedEquality Now. (n.d.). Testimony in support of B24-0516: The Female Genital Mutilation Prohibition Act of 2021, District of Columbia, United States. Retrieved from https://equalitynow.org/resource/testimony-in-support-of-b24-0516-the-female-genital-mutilation-prohibition-act-of-2021-district-of-columbia-united-states/

University of Birmingham. (2023). FGM identified as a leading cause of death in African countries. Retrieved from https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2023/fgm-identified-as-a-leading-cause-of-death-in-african-countries

Population Reference Bureau. (2020). United States FGMC methodology. Retrieved from https://www.prb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/prb-unitedstates-fgmc-methodology-1.pdf

UNICEF. (n.d.). Female genital mutilation. Retrieved from https://data.unicef.org/topic/child-protection/female-genital-mutilation/

George Washington University. (n.d.). Factsheet: FGMC Toolkit. Retrieved from https://fgmtoolkit.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs6326/files/Factsheet%20FGMC%20Toolkit.pdf

World Health Organization. (n.d.). Female genital mutilation fact sheet. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/female-genital-mutilation

Guest Writer: Rokiyah Darbo

“I am a junior Biology major at Spelman College from Smyrna, Georgia!”