230million+
Alive today have undergone FGM across 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia covered by WHO’s estimate.
WHO fact sheet · January 2025 ↗ CONNECTED BY OUR HUMANITY
DRAG TO EXPLORE · ← → TO ROTATE
Every girl deserves
a future of her own.
a future of her own.
01 / UNDERSTANDING THROUGH CONNECTIONCLICK TO DISCOVER ↗
A sensitive topic, approached with care. This experience contains no graphic imagery. Explore at your own pace.
01 — START WITH UNDERSTANDING
Behind the term,
there are people.
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is injury to, or removal of, female genital tissue for non-medical reasons.
FGM has no health benefits. It can cause immediate injuries and lasting physical and psychological harm. It is a violation of girls’ and women’s human rights.
Experiences vary. People affected deserve dignity, compassionate healthcare, and the freedom to tell their own stories—or not to.
Read the WHO overview ↗THE EVIDENCE — WHO & RESEARCH
Know the facts.
Understand the impact.
A concise introduction to WHO’s key facts, with additional context from UNICEF, UNFPA, and published research. Figures describe populations; every individual’s experience is their own.
No health benefits.
FGM can cause severe bleeding, difficulty urinating, cysts, infections, childbirth complications, and an increased risk of newborn death.
WHO · Health consequences ↗Mostly infancy
to age 15.
FGM is most often carried out on children. It violates the human rights of girls and women, including their rights to health and bodily integrity.
WHO · Key facts ↗ESTIMATED ANNUAL DEATHS ASSOCIATED WITH FGM
44,320
Approximately 121 deaths per day, or one every 12 minutes, based on the study’s estimate.
Statistical estimate of annual excess deaths across 15 countries, not a count of confirmed deaths worldwide.
Ghosh, Flowe & Rockey · Scientific Reports (2023) ↗What causes these deaths?
FGM can lead to life-threatening complications. Known pathways to severe harm include:
- Severe bleeding (hemorrhage) during or after cutting.
- Infections and sepsis from contaminated instruments or wounds.
- Shock associated with blood loss, pain, or infection.
- Complications during childbirth later in life.
The World Health Organization emphasizes that FGM has no health benefits and can cause serious short- and long-term harm. These are recognized health risks. The mortality study did not determine individual causes of death and did not include later obstetric complications in its estimate.
How accurate is the number?
The researchers matched FGM prevalence with age- and sex-specific mortality data from 15 countries during 1990–2020. Because deaths associated with FGM can go undocumented or be attributed to other causes, they used statistical methods to estimate excess mortality.
The daily and time-interval figures are rounded calculations: 44,320 ÷ 365 ≈ 121 per day; 525,600 minutes ÷ 44,320 ≈ 12 minutes. They describe an average, not a live count or a prediction.
Ghosh, A., Flowe, H., & Rockey, J. (2023). Estimating excess mortality due to female genital mutilation. Scientific Reports, 13, Article 13328. University research record ↗
Health complications: WHO · Health risks of FGM ↗
MEDICALIZATION
A health worker performing FGM does not make it acceptable.
Medicalization means FGM is performed by a healthcare provider. A 2021 UNICEF review highlighted Egypt, Guinea, Kenya, Nigeria, and Sudan, describing rising rates in all five except Nigeria. Patterns and trends differ by country and survey year. WHO urges health workers not to perform FGM.
UNICEF · Medicalization report (2021, PDF) ↗THE COST OF HARM
US$1.4 billion
every year.
WHO estimates annual treatment costs at US$1.4 billion. A historical projection cited by UNICEF estimated costs could reach US$2.3 billion a year by 2047 without action, based on 27 countries where FGM is regularly practised.
UNICEF · Cost projection (2022, PDF) ↗Sources: WHO fact sheet (2025); UNICEF medicalization report (2021); UNICEF financing paper (2022); Ghosh, Flowe & Rockey (2023). These estimates and projections are not live counts.
Ready to check your understanding?
Try ten questions about the facts, the context, and respectful awareness.
REFLECT — CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
A little knowledge.
A lasting difference.
Explore what you’ve learned about FGM, health, rights, and reading the evidence. Ten multiple-choice questions, at your own pace.
Based on the sources linked throughout this project. Each answer includes an explanation and a source to explore.
LEARN THE TERMS — FOUR TYPES OF FGM/C
Four classifications.
Every person matters.
FGM is also called female genital cutting (FGC), or FGM/C. The clinical descriptions below are text only. Open only what you feel comfortable reading.
TYPE 1 / IClitoral glans and/or hood removal+
Partial or complete removal of the clitoral glans (the external, visible part of the clitoris) and/or the prepuce, also called the clitoral hood.
- One form involves removal of the hood only.
- Another involves removal of the glans together with the hood.
The term “clitoridectomy” is sometimes used for removal involving the clitoral glans.
WHO · Type I definition ↗TYPE 2 / IIRemoval involving the labia minora+
Partial or complete removal of the clitoral glans and the labia minora (inner folds of the vulva), sometimes also involving the labia majora (outer folds).
WHO’s subcategories also include removal of the labia minora alone. The clitoral hood may be affected.
WHO · Classification and subtypes ↗TYPE 3 / IIIInfibulation: narrowing the vaginal opening+
A covering seal narrows the vaginal opening. It forms through cutting and repositioning the labia minora or labia majora, sometimes with stitching.
This can occur with or without removal of the clitoral glans. Removal of the glans is not required for a procedure to be classified as Type III.
WHO · Type III definition ↗TYPE 4 / IVOther injury for non-medical reasons+
Other harmful procedures affecting the female genitals for non-medical reasons, including pricking, piercing, incising (cutting), scraping, and cauterization (burning).
WHO · Type IV definition ↗These classifications describe procedures, not a person’s worth or identity. A qualified clinician can assess individual care needs.
CARE & WELL-BEING
Understanding
deinfibulation.
Also called defibulation
Deinfibulation is a clinical procedure to reopen the seal associated with Type III FGM.
It may improve health and well-being, address difficulties with urination or intercourse, and help facilitate childbirth. It does not replace removed tissue or reverse every effect of FGM.
Care should be provided by trained professionals, with counselling, informed consent, and attention to the person’s wishes. Physical care and mental health support can both be important.
WHO · Prevention and clinical care guideline (2025) ↗02 — COUNTRY DATA, IN CONTEXT
Explore the data.
See the context.
Select a location or a marked point on the globe. Figures describe girls and women aged 15–49 who have undergone FGM. Survey years differ; national averages do not describe every community.
94+
A global issue. Different kinds of evidence.
FGM is documented in at least 94 countries, according to UNFPA’s February 2026 FAQ ↗. This map highlights 23 countries and one local example, including the Commonwealth locations you are exploring.
EAST AFRICA
Kenya
14.8%
of girls and women aged 15–49 have undergone FGM.
UNICEF · DHS 2022
Mandera County could not be visited due to insecurity.
Survey-based estimates describe past experiences, not a live count or a prediction for an individual.
Explore UNICEF country profiles ↗Saved UNICEF API data · retrieved 8 November 2026
YOUR LEARNING LENS
What can age-group comparisons tell us about change over time?
READ THESE FIGURES WITH CONTEXT
Percentages use a shared age group, but survey dates and coverage differ. They are not a country ranking. Pins distinguish national surveys, documented practice, diaspora reports and a historical local estimate. Missing pins or percentages do not mean zero. This is a selected set of locations, not all 94 countries. Pin positions are approximate country or county centres, not incident locations.
About UNICEF’s public data API ↗Source: UNICEF Data Warehouse, indicator PT_F_15-49_FGM. Data licensed under CC BY 3.0 IGO. Adapted presentation; no UNICEF endorsement implied.03 — PAUSE. QUESTION. UNDERSTAND.
Let’s clear up
the misconceptions.
Choose a statement to reveal what the evidence says.
01 / HEALTH“FGM has health benefits.”+
False. WHO states that FGM has no health benefits. Healthcare professionals performing it does not make it safe or acceptable.Source: WHO ↗
02 / GEOGRAPHY“FGM happens only in Africa.”+
False. FGM occurs in parts of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and communities elsewhere. Its prevalence varies widely.Source: UNICEF ↗
03 / CHANGE“Communities can help end FGM.”+
True. Community dialogue, girls’ education, and access to skilled, compassionate healthcare are important parts of prevention and support.Source: UNICEF Innocenti ↗
04 — CHANGE STARTS WITH PEOPLE
A future shaped
by her own voice.
Lasting change grows through community-led conversations, education, and care. Learn from the people doing that work, and share verified information with respect.
Explore approaches to prevention ↗YOU DESERVE TO BE HEARD
Support begins
with listening.
If this topic affects you or someone you know, you don’t have to navigate it alone.
A trusted adult, school counselor, or qualified healthcare professional can help you find appropriate local care and protection. If someone is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services.
Supporting a friend? Listen without judgment, respect their privacy, and help them reach a trusted professional. Let them decide how much they want to share.
Learn about the international response · UNFPA ↗