UN | International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation

Across Continents and Centuries: Understanding FGM

by Betty | Community Contributor, Ethiopia

For many people, female genital mutilation (FGM) may be considered a practice that ended long ago due to increased awareness and decades of advocacy. However, the reality is far different. Each year, an estimated 4 million girls are at risk of undergoing FGM worldwide, with a significant proportion occurring in early childhood, often before the age of five (United Nations).

Female genital mutilation (FGM) refers to all procedures involving partial or total removal of the female external genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs, for non-medical reasons, as defined by UNICEF.

Historical background

The origins of FGM remain unclear. Historians do not agree on exactly where or when the practice began. Some scholars point to references dating back more than 2,000 years, including writings attributed to the Greek historian Herodotus in the 5th century BC, which describe forms of excision among certain populations in ancient Egypt and surrounding regions.

Greek and Roman literature from the first millennium BC and the early centuries AD also references genital cutting practices in parts of Egypt and the Mediterranean. These accounts have led some scholars to suggest that such practices may have spread through ancient trade routes, migration, and cultural contact across regions. However, the precise origins and pathways remain uncertain, and no single explanation fully accounts for the emergence of FGM.

Shared purpose across cultures

Historical evidence suggests that variations of FGM have appeared in different parts of the world. While methods differed, the underlying purpose often remained the same: to regulate female sexuality, preserve virginity, and enforce social norms related to marriage and behavior.

Forms of this control also appeared in 19th- and early 20th-century Europe and the United States, where medical professionals performed procedures such as clitoridectomy under the false belief that they could treat conditions like hysteria or masturbation. These examples underscore that FGM is rooted not in religion or geography, but in systems of gender inequality.

When girls stay in school, harmful traditions lose their power.

Why zero tolerance for FGM

Female genital mutilation has no health benefits and causes serious short- and long-term harm. Survivors often feel permanently marked by their experiences. Because the practice is frequently carried out by family members or trusted community figures, it can deeply disrupt trust and leave lasting psychological trauma.

FGM is often performed in unhygienic conditions and can result in severe complications, including excessive bleeding, infection, chronic pain, menstrual and urinary problems, sexual and reproductive health complications, obstetric fistula, complications during childbirth, mental health disorders, and in some cases, death.

FGM as a barrier to education and safety

In many communities, FGM is closely linked to perceptions of marriage readiness. Once a girl is cut, she may be withdrawn from school in preparation for early marriage. Pain, infection, and long recovery periods often contribute to prolonged absences, sometimes leading to permanent dropout.

Long-term complications—such as chronic pain or recurrent urinary issues—can make regular attendance impossible. Psychological trauma, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), further affects concentration, confidence, and motivation to continue learning. When tradition and marriage are prioritized over education, girls are left with little choice but to abandon schooling—the very pathway that could protect their future.

Education as protection

This raises a critical question: how can a practice that has existed for generations persist despite its deadly consequences?

UNFPA identifies FGM as a form of discrimination against women—and we see it the same way. Evidence consistently shows that communities with access to education are more likely to abandon harmful practices. Education, awareness, and the empowerment of women and girls are among the most effective tools for ending FGM.

Research consistently shows a strong link between girls’ education and the abandonment of FGM. Girls whose mothers have secondary education or higher are significantly less likely to undergo FGM, and communities with increased access to schooling show faster declines in the practice. According to UNESCO, education not only delays early marriage but strengthens girls’ ability to question harmful norms and exercise agency over their bodies and futures.

This commitment to education and prevention is reflected in our work on the ground. At Studio Samuel Girls Academy, students recently participated in an FGM awareness session led by our Health Officer at our center in Addis Ababa. These conversations provide girls with accurate information, a safe space to ask questions, and the confidence to protect their health and futures.

Girls participate in an FGM awareness session at Studio Samuel Girls Academy, led by our Health Officer.

From awareness to action

At Studio Samuel Girls Academy, we work every day to challenge harmful norms by keeping girls in school and equipping them with knowledge, confidence, and opportunity. On this International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM, we invite our community to move beyond awareness—to invest in education as a proven pathway to safety, dignity, and lasting change for girls.