WHO Urges Urgent Action to Halt Rising Medicalization of Female Genital Mutilation

Traditionally carried out by traditional practitioners, FGM is now alarmingly being performed by trained health professionals in several countries.

 

In a critical move to curb the increasing "medicalization" of female genital mutilation (FGM), the World Health Organization (WHO) today released a powerful new guideline titled The prevention of female genital mutilation and clinical management of complications. The publication calls for urgent, coordinated action from the health sector, governments, and communities worldwide to prevent FGM and support survivors with high-quality, evidence-based medical care.

The Disturbing Trend of Medicalized FGM

Traditionally carried out by traditional practitioners, FGM is now alarmingly being performed by trained health professionals in several countries. As of 2020, it was estimated that 52 million girls and women — approximately one in four of all FGM cases globally — had undergone the practice at the hands of health workers.

“Female genital mutilation is a severe violation of girls’ rights and critically endangers their health,” said Dr. Pascale Allotey, WHO’s Director for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research and Head of the UN’s Special Programme for Human Reproduction (HRP). “The health sector must be an active force in preventing FGM — not perpetuating it.”

The WHO stresses that no matter who performs FGM, it remains a dangerous, harmful practice. Ironically, when medical professionals perform FGM, they may cause even deeper, more severe injuries, and the involvement of the health sector risks legitimizing the practice in the eyes of communities.

Key Recommendations: Stronger Codes of Conduct and Training

The new guideline outlines several critical steps:

• Professional Codes of Conduct: Health workers should be explicitly prohibited from performing any form of FGM. Clear ethical standards must be embedded in medical training and practice.

• Training and Engagement: Doctors, nurses, and midwives must be sensitively trained to refuse performing FGM requests while effectively communicating its dangers to families and communities.

• Community Leadership: Recognizing their position of trust, health workers must act as opinion leaders, fostering dialogue that challenges long-standing social norms around FGM.

“Research shows that health workers can be influential opinion leaders in changing attitudes on FGM,” said Christina Pallitto, a WHO and HRP scientist and lead developer of the guideline. “Their engagement is crucial to making lasting changes.”

A Broader Approach: Policy, Education, and Survivor Support

Alongside professional reforms, the WHO emphasizes the need for:

• Effective Laws and Policies: National policies banning FGM must be enforced, with real consequences for violations.

• Community Awareness: Programs that involve men and boys, alongside women and girls, have been shown to foster stronger support for ending the practice.

• Empathetic Survivor Care: Survivors of FGM often require a lifetime of healthcare services. These may range from mental health counseling to management of childbirth risks and surgical repair of physical injuries.

The guideline provides clinical recommendations to ensure that FGM survivors receive sensitive, trauma-informed medical care tailored to their evolving needs across different stages of life.

Success Stories Show That Change is Possible

While the fight against FGM is far from over, significant progress has been made in several countries:

• Burkina Faso: 50% reduction in FGM among 15–19-year-olds over the past three decades.

• Sierra Leone: 35% decrease in prevalence among teenage girls.

• Ethiopia: 30% reduction through national policies, education campaigns, and community mobilization.

Since 1990, global statistics show that a girl today is about three times less likely to undergo FGM compared to thirty years ago.

Nevertheless, FGM remains entrenched in about 30 countries, particularly across parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, with an estimated 4 million girls still at risk every year.

A Call to Action

The WHO’s message is clear: health workers must be empowered to reject FGM, support survivors, and act as champions for the rights of girls and women. Only through collective action, strong political commitment, robust education initiatives, and a health sector determined to say "no" can the practice of FGM finally be ended.

The newly published guideline offers a roadmap for countries and communities ready to move from commitment to concrete, transformative action.