Certain ethnic groups in Asian countries practice FGM, including in communities in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. In the Middle East, the practice occurs in Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen, as well as in Iraq, Iran, Jordan and the State of Palestine.
More than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM) in 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where FGM is practiced. FGM is mostly carried out on young girls between infancy and age 15. FGM is a violation of the human rights of girls and women.
Muslims in Southeast Asia typically observe this practice and reside in countries such as Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia.
Current status: FGM is not practiced among the Japanese. In addition, no case of FGM practiced by foreign residents in Japan, including those from African countries, has been reported to the Japanese Government.
FGM is practised by the Dawoodi Bohra, a sect of Shia Islam with one million members in India. Known as khatna, khafz, and khafd, the procedure is performed on six- or seven-year-old girls and involves the total or partial removal of the clitoral hood.
In the Middle East, FGM is mostly concentrated in Southern Jordan, Iraq and Northern Saudi Arabia. There have also been cases of FGM in Qatar, Syria and the United Arab Emirates. The practice most often occurs in small ethnic enclaves where the ritual is considered tradition.
FGM in Egypt
According to the Egyptian Family Health Survey (EFHS) 2021, 86 percent of Egyptian married women between the ages of 15 and 49 have undergone FGM, 74 percent of whom by doctors.
There is no exact established region where FGM's origin is dated back to, however, scholars have proposed Ancient Egypt and Sudan. Others claim it originated from Ancient Rome, stating that FGM was implemented on the female slaves to prevent pregnancy and sexual relations.
On the other hand, some circumcised women report having satisfying sexual relations including sexual desire, pleasure and orgasm. Female genital mutilation does not eliminate sexual pleasure totally for every woman who undergoes the procedure, but it does reduce the likely of orgasm.
QATAR – There is anecdotal evidence of FGM/C occurring in Qatar, but the evidence available is scarce. SAUDI ARABIA – FGM/C in Saudi Arabia is found to exist among women and girls from both indigenous and diaspora communities.
FGM is most often carried out on young girls aged between infancy and 15 years old. It is often referred to as 'cutting', 'female circumcision', 'initiation', 'Sunna' and 'infibulation'.
It is estimated that at least 600,000 women in Europe have undergone female genital mutilation and 200 million women worldwide. If the practice continues at the current pace, 68 million girls will be mutilated between 2015 and 2030 in 25 countries where FGM is routinely practiced and data is available.
Female genital mutilation/cutting in Africa. According to the Social Institute of Justice, Pakistan has no laws to stop this social convention; therefore, the issue is rarely mentioned.
An estimated 55 million girls under the age of 15 in 28 African countries have experienced or are at risk of experiencing FGM, which remains prevalent in parts of West, East, Central, and Northern Africa.
In the United States, 71.2% of males have been circumcised, while that figure is 94% in Egypt. Though circumcision is seen as a common practice in those two countries and beyond, more people are questioning this tradition, according to Ghatis.
Female genital cutting or circumcision is the partial or complete removal of the external female genital organs. It is done for cultural rather than medical reasons. Female genital circumcision (FGC) is illegal in all Australian states and territories.
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a procedure where the female genitals are deliberately cut, injured or changed, but there's no medical reason for this to be done. It's also known as female circumcision or cutting, and by other terms, such as Sunna, gudniin, halalays, tahur, megrez and khitan, among others.
Historically, owing to government restrictions and a small immigrant population, FGM/C was not believed to be a common occurrence in Saudi Arabia. However, a recent survey documented that 18.2% of women in a Saudi obstetrics and gynecology clinic self-reported having undergone FGM/C as a child.
Most of the non-Saudi women with FGM were Sudanese, Somali, Eritrean, and Egyptian. FGM is prevalent in regions such as Jeddah and Hali, Al Qunfudhah Governorate, Saudi Arabia. FGM is considered illegal in most countries around the world.
The effects of FGM vary depending on the type performed, the expertise of the practitioner and the conditions under which it is performed. Complications can include severe pain, shock, haemorrhage, infection, urine retention and more. In some cases, haemorrhage and infection can be severe enough to cause death.
At least 30 countries in the world are thought to practise female genital mutilation (FGM). While they claim there are benefits to the procedure, research shows it does more harm than good. Fortunately for Bangladesh, this excessive and dangerous practice appears it is becoming obsolete.
Khitan (Arabic: ختان) or Khatna (Arabic: ختنة) is the Arabic term for circumcision, and the Islamic term for the practice of religious male circumcision in Islamic culture. Male circumcision is widespread in the Muslim world, and accepted as an established practice by all Islamic schools of jurisprudence.