Somali Women Speak Out on Ending Female Genital Mutilation
Somali women describe a complex and shifting tradition of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Somalia, according to a study published July 9, 2025 in the open-access journal PLOS Global Public Health by Zamzam I.A. Ali from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK and the Mayo Clinic, US, and colleagues.
Female genital mutilation/cutting, which increases the risks of immediate and long-term psychological, obstetric, genitourinary and sexual and reproductive health complications, has no health benefits. It continues to be a human rights issue globally, with the UN and the Human Rights Council calling for a complete end to the practice. Somalia has the highest estimated rate of FGM/C worldwide, with 98 percent of women 15-49 affected, and has deep roots in Somali cultural traditions. In this study, Ali and colleagues explored Somali women’s perspectives on FGM/C and efforts to support its abandonment in Somalia.
In 2022, the authors interviewed 20 adult Somali women ranging in age from 18-80, with diverse backgrounds in terms of education, marital status, and socioeconomic status.
Most participants were familiar with FGM/C, with many defining FGM/C as a “stage all girls go through”. Participants referred to both “gudniinka fircooniga” (translated as “pharaonic circumcision,” equivalent to infibulation of the genitalia by surgically narrowing the vaginal opening) and “gudniinka sunnah” (translated as “religiously sanctioned” or “good” circumcision—descriptions of this type of FGM/C varied from a prick or nick to the genitals to complete removal of the external clitoris). Many participants described FGM/C in terms relating to belonging to religious beliefs and Somali culture (“The whole culture in Somalia, whether it’s in politics or government, they still believe in [FGM/C]”), patriarchal/social/familial pressure (“If a man was given a girl [married to an uncircumcised maiden], he will say ‘She is not a girl [virgin]…’ He thinks it [the vagina] is this area that is completely closed and needs to be reopened. So, he thinks this is the right way. It [sexual intercourse] is difficult for him and it is difficult for her, but he says ‘I want it this way.'”;”We went through this, and our girls will take the same path”) and social coercion/discrimination (“I just wanted to be like everyone else, like just not to feel like I’m the odd one out”). All participants supported abandonment of “pharaonic” FGM/C due to its many harms. However, many participants supported continuation of “gudniinka sunnah,” particularly non-educated and moderately educated women: “The Sunnah you hear is not something problematic. It is just bleeding the girl a little bit. No problem in that.” Most university-educated participants described a zero-tolerance stance: “I don’t support it at all because you know Allah made us whole [..]. It’s not a mistake and we deserve to be whole and so I don’t support it at all.”
When asked to reflect on FGM/C abandonment, participants described changing community norms, particularly through the spread of education: “In the past, many Somalis did it, but recently people lost interest in it, and they are becoming better. Not like in the past. People started to understand and change”. The authors note that while health education may be contributing to changing attitudes towards FGM/C in Somalia, it’s likely insufficient to enact meaningful change—for that, active engagement of a range of community stakeholders will be required.
Lead author Zamzam Ali adds: “This project impacted me deeply and helped me understand the ‘why’—the driving force that kept this practice alive from one generation to another in Somalia. Women were the main victims, yet they were also the promoters and champions for the continuation of FGM in the community. Any intervention targeting this issue should start with a deep understanding and involve them in the conversation. I hope this work becomes the start of more open, vulnerable, and honest conversations in our community about FGM and a step closer toward its elimination.”
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0004571