Norms and Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C)

A ccording to the World Health Organization (WHO), “Female genital mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons” (WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, 2007: 3). The four types of FGM/C known to be practiced today are: Type I Clitoridectomy: partial or total removal of the clitoris (a small, sensitive and erectile part of the female genitals) and, in very rare cases, only the prepuce (the fold of skin surrounding the clitoris); Type II Excision: partial or total removal of the clitoris and the labia minora, with or without excision of the labia majora (the labia are “the lips” that surround the vagina); Type III Infibulation: narrowing of the vaginal opening through the creation of a covering seal. The seal is formed by cutting and repositioning the inner, or outer, labia, with or without removal of the clitoris; and, Type IV Other: all other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes, for example, pricking, piercing, incising, scraping, and cauterizing the genital area (WHO 2013). These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.