Medicalisation of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting is on the rise in South and South East Asia

The new report on Medicalisation of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in South and South East Asia, released jointly by ARROW, the Asia Network to End FGM/C, Equality Now and the Orchid Project highlights the worrying growing number of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) procedures carried out by medical professionals, raising serious concern among women’s rights advocates and health experts. 

The publication compiles data from Brunei Darussalam, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Evidence shows that younger girls are increasingly subjected to FGM/C by healthcare practitioners, with medicalisation rates higher in urban areas.

Medicalised FGM/C regardless of being performed by trained personnel in some contexts, does not reduce harm. The act itself carries severe physical, psychological, and emotional consequences and reinforces gender-based discrimination.

Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that more than 52 million women and girls alive today have undergone FGM/C performed by a health worker. See our article : 1 in 4 cases now involve Health Professionals says WHO. In Asia, the medicalisation of FGM/C is increasing, embedding it within health systems and normalising it as a clinical procedure.

The report highlights that Indonesia remains the only country in the region with laws or policies explicitly banning FGM/C, including when performed by healthcare practitioners. Reports indicate that it is sometimes part of standard maternity packages. Although FGM/C is clearly banned, Indonesia has one of the highest rates of FGM/C in Asia, with almost half of all procedures now being performed by trained midwives. Across most of South and South East Asia, the absence of clear legislation leaves women and girls unprotected from the act.

Malaysia and Singapore are also countries with the highest rates of FGMC/C. More specifically, in Malaysia, it has largely shifted from traditional midwives to health professionals, with many doctors continuing to support it. In Singapore, nearly half of respondents in a 2020 study reported being cut by a doctor.

In Sri Lanka, the procedure is increasingly conducted in private clinics, while in Thailand, reports indicate a growing number of procedures taking place in hospitals and health facilities. Smaller studies from Brunei, India, and Pakistan suggest similar emerging trends, particularly in urban areas where access to healthcare is higher.

Governments are urged to enact and enforce comprehensive laws prohibiting FGM/C, ensure accountability for violations, and implement national awareness campaigns to educate communities about its health risks and legal consequences. Training healthcare professionals to recognise, prevent, and report FGM/C is critical. The report also recommends establishing mandatory reporting mechanisms and protections for whistleblowers. Ending medicalised FGM/C requires collaboration between governments, medical associations, civil society, and international partners to adopt policies that ensures that women and girls across Asia are fully protected from this form of gender-based violence. 

By highlighting these elements, the report underscores the global nature of FGM/C, which is occurring in at least 94 countries worldwide. If you want to find out more about FGM/C around the world read The Time is Now: End Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) An Urgent Need For Global Response. The report is a joint publication by Equality Now, the End FGM European Network, and the U.S. End FGM/C Network, shedding a light on the global nature of FGM/C.

We will be taking this message to the World Health Summit 2025 in Berlin. On October 14, the Global Platform for Action to End FGM/C will spotlight the rising medicalisation of FGM/C as a global health emergency: calling for urgent, coordinated action to end it. If you’re attending WHS, you can register your interest for the event here.