Female genital mutilation (FGM) is painful. It has no health benefits. And it can even cause death.
FGM refers to all forms of removing the external female genitalia, as well as other injuries to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. FGM can cause life-long consequences including serious pain and bleeding. In some cases, the procedure can even lead to death. Which is why the outdated practice is recognised as a human rights violation.
World Vision stands firmly against FGM and works with communities and partner organisations like UNICEF, to end FGM and support the rights of women and girls around the world.
The reasons why female genital mutilations happen vary in different areas, and include a mix of sociocultural factors within families and communities.
Social pressures
FGM is impacted by community power structures, social norms & fear of rejection
Gender inequality
FGM is often used to control female 'modesty', virginity and sexual behaviour
Religious beliefs
No religious scripts prescribe FGM, but some faith leaders support it
Education is a key part of preventing FGM. World Vision works around the world to teach communities about child protection and sexual violence.
When you sponsor a girl, you can help her access an education, develop a road to her future and learn about her rights. You can support her to learn life skills, to have confidence in who they are and how to protect themselves. You can improve her life chances agency and confidence through our education and child protection work.
We work with local social systems and organisations to amplify the prevention and response services for cases of FGM, child marriage and other types of child abuse. We also work with them to increase their community outreach and to enlist more 'local child protection ambassadors' within the community who look out for potential abuse cases and contact the organisations to help protect the vulnerable child.
Trained facilitators, usually working in the local language, help communities to understand the adverse effects of FGM, find alternative positive practices and to become ambassadors for the anti-FGM movement. We arrange for different groups (men, youth, boys, girls, women and council of elders) to have separate discussions, to ensure that everyone's voice is heard. We then arrange intergenerational dialogues, so that open talks between parents and their children can begin, aiming for discussions and behaviour changes that lead to long term cultural changes in the community.
FGM is often tied to extreme poverty through child marriage. In some communities, when families experience emergencies, they may force their girls to get married in exchange for a dowry or because they believe it will make them safer. This can make girls vulnerable to FGM because, if it is the cultural norm, social pressures could mean the girls are forced to undergo it to ensure the marriage goes through. We're addressing this through Child Sponsorship by educating families to appreciate the value and potentials of girls, challenging gender norms as well as supporting livelihoods and nutrition projects that help boost household incomes.
Vinita was 17 when her parents planned to get her married. She was destined to follow her parent’s life: get married early and work hard in the paddy field. But with the encouragement and support of her sponsor, she continued with her education – and became a nurse. She’s trained as an auxiliary nurse and midwife and now works at a children’s hospital in India.
Since being sponsored, Musyoka and her family have been given cows, goats, clothes, food and a bed. Her family can now afford school fees, so she can dream big. She says, "I want support with my education until University. I want to become a nurse."
Drought has made life difficult for Loveness's family. But the five goats the family received from World Vision have made a big difference to their income. Now, thanks to her sponsor, Loveness has a chance at an education and fulfilling her God-given potential.
Zipporah, 15, didn't know the dangers of FGM until her friend lost her life. FGM or "cutting" is still common with many families in the small rural Kenyan community Zipporah grew up in - even though the dangerous practice risks death, and severe, painful consequences for those who live.
"She lost a lot of blood and finally died. She was in so much pain.”
Zipporah, 15, from Kenya
lost her friend to FGM
When our child protection training came to Zipporah's village, we provided a safe space for girls to discuss the issues they were facing as teenagers - and educate them and their families on the risks of FGM. The training empowered the girls to take a stand and use their voices to teach others too.
The group also acts as a watchdog in their village - reporting cases of sexual violence to the authorities and World Vision's protection officers. Zipporah and her friends are determined to protect as many girls as possible.
Child Sponsorship supports the funding of child protection training - it empowers children to learn about their rights and safety. Can you help protect a girl like Zipporah by becoming a sponsor today?
At least 200 million girls and women alive today living in 31 countries have undergone FGM according to UNICEF data from February 2020 - but the total number is unknown.
Most known instances of female genital mutilation happen in the Western, Eastern, and North-Eastern regions of Africa, and in some countries in the Middle East and Asia. There have also been cases of the children of migrants from these countries being subjected to this practice, sometimes being taken to those countries for the procedures to be carried out.
FGM has been illegal in the UK since 1985 and is considered a form of child abuse. However, it has only been tracked by the NHS since 2015 so it is hard to accurately calculate the number of girls and women who have suffered FGM. According to the statistics released by NHS Digital in July 2020, there were 6,590 women and girls who either had a procedure to treat their FGM or were identified as having undergone FGM previously when treated between April 2019 and March 2020.
As in many European countries, girls whose families originate from a FGM-practicing community are at greater risk of FGM happening to them, particularly during the summer holidays when they may be taken abroad for the procedure. Penalties for anyone in the UK who performs FGM include up to 14 years in prison, and anyone found guilty of failing to protect a girl from FGM can face up to 7 years in prison.
You can read the UK Government's statement opposing FGM here.
Girls across the world face threats including child marriage, female genital mutilation and sexual violence. UNICEF estimates that an adolescent girl dies every 10 minutes as a direct result of violence.
Violence can take many forms; domestic abuse, trafficking, rape, or harmful practices such as early marriage and female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C).
Violence against girls crosses culture, ethnicity and economic status. We know that violence does not begin with a conflict or an emergency, but any existing levels of violence against women and girls do increase during these times.
Violence against girls and women has its roots in gender inequality and discrimination - and negative norms or practices that result from these.
We help families to provide for themselves so that they don't feel the need to marry their daughters at a young age or send them out to work.
We fund the education of girls and help them reach their career goals. Many sponsored girls go on to become teachers, nurses and business owners.
We challenge social norms and harmful practices, working with faith leaders and communities to acknowledge and act upon gender injustices and negative practices.
We engage men and boys to make sure they recognise and act upon their obligation to prevent and end violence against girls and women.
We provide training for children on their rights, how to better protect themselves, challenging existing gender imbalances and actively engaging with the wider community.
We protect girls in emergencies, creating Child-Friendly Spaces where girls and boys are protected from the risk of violence, have space to play and continue with their education.
We also work in refugee camps to promote gender equality and reduce the occurrence of violence.
We provide medical, legal and psychological support as well as life skills, vocational training and other support for girls affected by violence, including former girl soldiers.
You can easily sign up to sponsor a girl online or by calling our Supporter Care Team on 01908 84 10 10.
World Vision has had a Child Sponsorship programme for more than 70 years, we pair donors with a vulnerable child who needs protection and empowerment.
Child Sponsorship brings much-needed change to more than just one child — the benefits you help provide extends to each child's family, their community and other children in need.
This is because World Vision partners, plans and works alongside local community members to help build healthy, sustainable communities for vulnerable children in the world’s hardest places. Learn more about how Child Sponsorship works.
All of World Vision's work begins with listening to communities in need. Community leaders work with us to identify the most vulnerable children and families who will benefit from Child Sponsorship.
We work with national governments and other international agencies to identify the regions and communities that are most in need and where the most vulnerable children live. We then meet with community leaders and the wider community to gain a greater understanding of the challenges and the opportunities that exist for them and we develop a long-term plan together, to break the cycle of poverty. Find out more about how Sponsorship helps communities and how Child Sponsorship works.
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Experts in transforming communities and children's lives.
Almost 100 countries
Trusted worldwide to provide water, education, food and emergency response.
200 million children
We've helped more than 200 million children to achieve their dreams.
