Genital Piercing
Portrait of young beautiful Indian woman at rooftop of the building outdoors

Genital Piercing

Piercing can be defined as "an opening in any part of the body through which jewellery can be worn". Among the most common forms of female genital piercing is the clitoral cap, of which there are different types. The clitoral gland or lips can also be pierced. In some cases, the labia minora or labia majora may be pierced one or more times, to be crossed by one or more rings to form a "chastity ring" (Kelly & Foster, 2012).

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“Removal of sothieutes” in Senegal

“Removal of sothieutes” in Senegal

We had the opportunity to meet Fatou Kebe, member of the Community of Practice since 2017, when she came in Brussels for an international expert meeting on management and prevention of female genital mutilation/cutting, organized by three francophone universities.

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Pricking
Portrait of young beautiful Indian woman at rooftop of the building outdoors

Pricking

The piercing the clitoris or surrounding tissue, pricking, is a procedure in which the skin is pricked with a sharp object. Blood may flow but no tissue is removed and no stitching is done. Pricking is practiced in different communities around the world, either as a traditional form of FGM or as a substitute for more extensive excision. The practice is classified by the WHO as Type IV FGM. (WHO, 2008)

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Press overview
a young child wearing a protective medical mask is home treated at home

Press overview

In this section we have gathered some of the newspaper articles and reports shared within the CoP FGM during the months of April-June 2020. For a more extensive overview see the UNICEF Annotated Bibliography on "Harmful Practices and Public Health Crises". Accessible here.

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Resources shared, tools and reports produced by UNFPA and UNICEF
a young child wearing a protective medical mask is home treated at home

Resources shared, tools and reports produced by UNFPA and UNICEF

In this guide for action, UNICEF presents some key points and ways to continue the fight against FGM in times of COVID-19. Among the solutions proposed in the Agenda for Action are increased use of social networks and mass media to attract attention, reach out to the population and young people, and strengthen emergency and hotlines.

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Tools and resources developed and shared by the members
a young child wearing a protective medical mask is home treated at home

Tools and resources developed and shared by the members

During COVID-19 the members of the CoP FGM have kept busy and have adapted their work, developed adapted tools and published papers and articles related to FGM, women and girls’ rights or SRHR in times of COVID-19. In this sections you will find some resourced developed by and/or shared by members.

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Overview of therapeutic support
Mexican patient complains of pain in the heart, an African woman doctor, in the office. Mixed race young people

Overview of therapeutic support

There is very little research focusing specifically on FGM and mental health, and there are even less in developing countries. Most research was done on migrant girls and women in developed countries. In this way, it is difficult to draw conclusions on FGM consequences on mental health as the migratory journey and the confrontation with new social norms and beauty standards have a strong influence on the perception of herself, on the general well-being and mental health of concerned women

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Influence of social norms and migration on the well-being of persons with FGM
Mexican patient complains of pain in the heart, an African woman doctor, in the office. Mixed race young people

Influence of social norms and migration on the well-being of persons with FGM

Most of the currently available studies on psychological and sexual consequences of FGM have been led in Europe and North America on migrant women concerned by FGM. Factors such as migration, the integration in the host society as well as cultural and social environment, norms and customs must therefore be analyzed. Current studies emphasize the influence that external factors and the life path of the person have on psychological consequences of FGM.

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