Margaret Cruz

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) In Egypt

July 22, 2020

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) In Egypt

Word Bank:

Clitoris: Sensitive erectile part of female genitals.

Hymen: Tissues that surround the external vaginal opening.
Labia Minora: Inner layer of vulva.
Labia Majoria: Outer layer of vulva.
Prepuce: Fold of skin surrounding clitoris.
Vagina or vagina opening: Muscular sensitive hole or canal that connects to the uterus. The
vagina is used for reproduction (menstrual cycle, birth) and sexual pleasure.
Vulva: Female genitals outside of the body including the clitoris, vaginal opening, hymen,
urethra hole, and labia.

Background:

Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a nonmedical procedure to cut and

remove partial or total external genitalia of a female’s vagina. The World Health

Organization (WHO) reports FGM is typically performed on girls between the age of infancy

and 15 years old. WHO also states that FGM is practiced in over 30 countries within Africa,

the Middle East, and Asia. The number of FGM cases is unknown because it is

underreported. WHO estimates 200 million females have undergone FGM and 3 million

more girls are at risk of being cut annually (WHO, 2020).

FGM is a cultural tradition and the factors for performing it can vary between countries.

Those that practice FGM believe it is a necessary part of raising a girl to become a married

woman. For some, the purpose of FGM is to reduce a women’s libido in an attempt to

prevent premarital sexual relations, and ensure marriage fidelity. Also, it is believed that the

pain women experience from their vagina narrowed would leave them scared of opening it.

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Other cultural beliefs of femininity are that a woman is beautiful when she is clean; so her

unclean, unfeminine body parts need to be removed (WHO, 2020).

Globally, FGM Is recognized as a violation to human rights, a form of discrimination

against women and reflects the inequality between sexes. Women in Egypt live unequal,

violent, oppressed lives, and do not have the freedom of choices. Girls do not have a choice

in the decision of FGM, even if their mothers disagree, their fathers will bring the girls to

undergo FGM. Their begging cries before being cut will be ignored and there screams while

being cut will also be ignored.

FGM has no medical benefits, in fact it causes very many health complications and

trauma. WHO Factsheets on FGM state that FGM is cutting and removing healthy genitalia

tissues and it interferes with natural functions of the female body. Some complications

experienced right after cutting include severe pain, excessive bleeding, tissue injury,

swelling, infections, urinating problems, issues healing, shock and death (WHO Factsheets,

2020). Long term complications experienced include psychological issues from trauma,

vagina issues, urinary issues, difficulty passing blood with menstruation, pain with

intercourse, and risk of childbirth complications (WHO Factsheets, 2020). There are four

types of FGM defined by the World Health Organization described in table 1.

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Four types of FGM

Type 1, Clitoridectomy: Partial or total removal of clitoral gland.
Type 2, Excision: Partial or total removal of clitoral glans and the labia minora, and
possibly the labia majora.
Type 3, Infibulation: Narrowing of vaginal hole by making a seal. The seal is made by
cutting, repositioning, and sewing tissue from the labia minora or labia majora. The clitoris
may be removed.
Type 4, Other: Other harmful procedures to female genitals such as cauterizing, incising,
piercing, pricking, or scraping.
WHO Factsheets. (2020). Female genital mutilation. WHO. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/female-
genital-mutilation

Table 1

Global burden of FGM in Egypt:

FGM is a global human rights problem and it has been a tradition in Egypt for centuries.

According to an Egyptian news article “Stop taking your daughters to get mutilated’ by Langer,

FGM has existed in Egypt for at least 2,500 years. According to UNICEF Female Genital

Mutilation in Egypt: Recent trends and projections (2020) 9 in 10 females in Egypt ages 15-49

years old have undergone FGM. The Orchid project states that Type I and Type II are the most

practiced forms of FGM in Egypt. UNICEF Egypt also reports the highest rates of FGM are in

rural areas, among low income people, and among people with no or little education. According

to UNICEF’s Data Work on FGM/C in 1985 97% of girls aged 15-19 years old underwent FGM in

Egypt; in 2015 the rate of girls aged 15-19 years old who underwent FGM decreased to 70%.

Egypt has had national progress in preventing further FGM violence that will be discussed

further in the prevention of FGM in Egypt section. The United Nations General Assembly called

for a resolution to end FGM in 2012. According to UNICEF’s Data Work on FGM/C in 2015, Goal

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5 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) was developed to eliminate violence against

women such as FGM, forced child marriages, and rape by the end of 2030.

Marina Kedis Cruz, a 30-year-old naturalized US citizen originally from Egypt now lives in

Palm Coast, Florida and was interviewed about FGM in July 2020. Cruz moved to Florida from

Egypt in 2015 with her husband. Cruz was among a fortunate 1 out of 10 that did not undergo

FGM, though she knew a lot about it occurring in Egypt. Speaking about FGM in Egypt Cruz says

“I am so lucky my parents decided not to do that to me. During and before my grandparents’

generation definitely everyone underwent FGM, in my parents’ generation mostly everyone did

it too, but in my generation, I don’t know anyone except for one friend that told me about her

experience with FGM.” We spoke about when FGM happens for a girl, in response “when a girl

gets her period is when they decide to do it” Cruz said. According to UNICEF Egypt majority of

girls are cut between the ages 10 to 14 years old, and some girls are cut between ages 5-9 years

old. Across Egypt 14% of girls under age 15 years old have undergone FGM (UNICEF Egypt,

2020).

Cruz was asked “Is FGM done more by a certain religion?”, she replied “no, it doesn’t

matter if you’re Muslim or you’re Christian, everybody does it, and many people think it is

required by their religion, but that is totally untrue” said Cruz. UNICEF Egypt states that many

people think FGM is required by their religion but it is not in the bible or the Koran.

Additionally, religious leaders do not support the practice of FGM/C. Some priests or Imams

warn people against FGM.

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Cruz acknowledged the law against FGM in Egypt, and how parents would be punished if

they were reported for the act today. It could be safer to go to a doctor, “Corrupt doctors used

to try to medicalize FGM until it was banned in 2008, after that they could go to jail if they were

caught” said Cruz. According to DHS Egypt from 2004-2016 a majority of women reported being

cut by a medical professional (UNICEF Egypt, 2020). Unfortunately, since FGM has been

outlawed parents bring their girls to barber shops that they hear of by word of mouth or by

corrupt doctors.

According to a news article on June 5, 2020 from Aljazeera, Egyptian girls ‘tricked into

FGM’ with COVID-19 vaccine In Egypt there has been no successful prosecutions of an FGM

crime. Aljazeera reports a divorced Egyptian father had his three daughters and told them

they were going to the doctor to get a covid19 vaccine. When they got to the doctor the

girls were given an anesthetic, and he operated on each of them. The girls told their mom

who reported it to law authorities. A judge ordered a criminal trial and demanded the name

of the doctor. It is unknown if the doctors name was given.

Prevention of FGM in Egypt:

The most recent progress that Egypt has made with eliminating FGM/C can be summarized
in table 2 below.

Elimination progress of Female Genital Mutilation/ Cutting (FGM/C) in Egypt

1994: The Ministry of Health in Egypt ended a ban on FGM practice in hospitals. A loophole
was made to medicalize FGM/C as “medically necessary circumcision” until the end of 2007.
1996: FGM/C was made illegal in Egypt through the Child Act and Penal Code.

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2008: Amendments made to the Child Act and Penal Code making the crime of FGM a
misdemeanor, medical practitioners continue to perform FGM/C.
2016: Amendment to Child Act and Penal Code making the crime of FGM a felony. Family
Empowerment and FGM Abandonment national strategy started.
2017: Task force for FGM/C prevention established. Education about FGM/C is put into
universities.
2018: The Centre for Islamic Legal Research or the Dar Al-Iftaa ruled FGM/C forbidden,
banned, and unrequired under Islamic laws. The Ministry of Health presented six steps to
eliminate FGM/C by 2030 In Egypt.
Orchid Project. (2020). Egypt. Orchid Project Working together to end female genital cutting. Retrieved from
https://www.orchidproject.org/about-fgc/where-does-fgc-
happen/Egypt/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIy_uzsZ3a6gIVgobACh3EpQCOEAAYASAAEgJMPfD_BwE

Table 2

Most recently UNICEF Egypt (2020) reports the United Nations in Egypt and the

Government of Egypt has partnered with the National Committee for the Eradication of FGM,

co-chaired by the National Council for Women (NCW) and the National Council for Childhood

and Motherhood (NCCM). The United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) has

worked with the National Population Council (NPC) to develop a training program for people

prosecuted for FGM (UNFPA, 2020). The UNFPA reports to work closely with Egypt law

enforcement since FGM was banned in 2008. Part of the ban were penalties were a

misdemeanor with minimum jail time of 3 months to 2 years, or a fine of 1,000-5,000 Egyptian

Pounds (LE). In 2016, Egypt made an amendment to the penal law making FGM a felony charge

with a minimum of 5 years in prison, or a fine of 1,000 Egyptian pounds (around $125 USD)

(Sirgany, 2016). Doctors who are caught for performing FGM can be jailed up to seven years

(Aljazeera, 2020).

The Ministry of Health and Population (MHP) and the NPC have taken efforts to train

and ensure that medical staff in Egypt abandon FGM. Trainings to health care staff in Egypt

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ensure there is effective counseling and anti-FGM education (UNFPA, 2020). The UNFPA Egypt

has also supported training programs with outreach workers through the MHP and the National

Program for Family Empowerment and Abandonment. Training programs provide education to

communities about FGM. Yasmine Alraii, a medical doctor in Cairo, Egypt and a friend to Cruz is

also a source for this research paper. Alraii explained that clinics and medical offices that used

to provide FGM are not doing it anymore and when people call, they are educated on why.

Anyone who still performs FGM does so illegally, and most people go to barber shops. The

barbers that do it live in rural areas, and have been performing FGM for generations within

their families.

The UNFPA has funded a training program to help educate Imams and preachers about

gender based violence (GBV) and FGM. The UNFPA collaborates with religious leaders of both

Muslim and Christian faiths in Egypt to help convince communities that female violence and

FGM is wrong and is not a practice of faith. The UNFPA also collaborated with Noon Creative

Enterprise on developing a street theatre show about FGM named Hara TV III and broadcasting

it nationwide. Hara TV III portrays what FGM is like for Egyptian girls, and asks the audience to

join in discussion at the end of the show (UNFPA, 2020). UNFPA Egypt states that they launched

a campaign on TV named “Enough FGM”, but it stopped playing in 2015.

Barriers to preventing FGM in Egypt:

The barriers faced to eradicate FGM in Egypt include a lack of education and

advertisements to prevent FGM, the inequality of sexes including GBV, and too lenient

consequences for FGM. The Egyptian government and organizations have collaborated and
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campaigned to end FGM in Egypt. Despite these programs and education about FGM it still

occurs in Egypt, especially in rural areas. Commercials and advertisements to prevent FGM

should continue to happen to prevent more girls from being cut.

In Egypt there is extreme inequality of sexes and a racism like attitude towards women.

Egyptian women do not have the same privileges as men, are given many rules, cannot voice

opinions and are expected to be obedient. Violence and rape also continue to be a problem in

Egypt, and women or girls are often afraid to speak up because of societal shame. Today, many

women are using social media platforms to tell their experience of violence, rape, and FGM.

There are still women who are scared to speak about their experiences with FGM in fear that

their parents would get in trouble and go to jail. According to the Egypt DHS from 2015,

majority of males and females in Egypt believe FGM should still continue in Egypt. This shows a

need for multi-educational platforms and discussion in Egyptian communities.

Role of the primary care provider:

Health care workers in Egypt are trained to council patients and provide education on

why FGM is bad and why it is not medically practiced or beneficial. It is important for doctors be

understanding and well trained on treating females who have undergone FGM. Doctors should

act as role models to lead the way in stopping the stigma against women. Since FGM has been

practiced in Egypt for a long time, it is not unlikely for doctors to deal with FGM cases. Some

doctors may have the mindset that FGM is right, but Egypt has penalties for anyone caught

performing FGM in hope to deter it regardless of a doctor’s beliefs. The law penalty for FGM

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may however lead to less people seeking medical help after FGM and less reports of FGM

deaths (Sirgany, 2016).

Predictions for the future of FGM in Egypt:

According to the Orchid Project the Minister of Health in Egypt Ahmed Emad presented 6

ways to eliminate FGM/C by year 2030. The 6 ways are presented in table 3 below.

6 Ways to eliminate FGM/C by year 2030 in Egypt

1. Severe punishment for the crime of FGM published in the Penal Code and acted out.

2. A book will be made by the Attorney General to record FGM/C crimes and incidents.

3. Hospitals will inform law enforcement of any FGM/C cases.

4. Require Ministry of Health sectors to have educational training programs of the

consequences of FGM/C and law penalties.

5. Implement curriculum about the consequences of FGM/C to obstetric medical

students.

6. Commitment to use FGM/C curriculum in programs from agencies and ministries.

Egypt Today staff. (2018). Six ways to eliminate female circumcision: Health Ministry. Egypt Today. Retrieved from
https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/1/42140/Six-ways-to-eliminate-female-circumcision-Health-Mininstry

Table 3

The hope is that FGM can be eliminated through multi-generational education, GBV and

FGM prevention efforts, religious leaders support, and stricter law penalties for FGM, and other

violence against women. Egypt is committed to SDG Goal 5 by 2030 to eradicate GBV, child

marriages, rape and FGM. If Egypt can do a better job of enforcing the crime of FGM it could

happen much less. Educational programs about FGM/C in schools, churches and communities

would be most helpful. University obstetrician students will benefit from a curriculum about

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FGM, however it would be more beneficial to educate all university students should on FGM/C.

The rate of FGM in Egypt will decrease with the six ways the Minister of Health proposed.

However, Egypt will not meet the goal of 0% of girls or women being cut by 2030. If there were

more funds, public health measures, school curriculum standards, community health curricula,

then FGM could be eliminated in Egypt.

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References

ALJAZEERA. (2020). Egyptian girls ‘tricked into FGM’ with COVID-19 vaccine. ALJAZEERA.
Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/06/egyptian-girls-tricked-fgm-covid-19-
vaccine-200605051857815.html
Bulletin of the World Health Organization (WHO). (2008). Prevalence of female genital
mutilation cutting among Egyptian girls. WHO. Retrieved from
https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/86/4/07-042093/en/
Egypt. (2020). Female Genital Mutilation. UNFPA. Egypt. Retrieved from
https://egypt.unfpa.org/en/node/22544

Egypt Today staff. (2018). Six ways to eliminate female circumcision: Health Ministry. Egypt
Today. Retrieved from https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/1/42140/Six-ways-to-eliminate-female-
circumcision-Health-Mininstry

Langer, A. (2020). Stop Taking Your Daughters To Be Mutilated. Spiegel International. Retrieved
from https://www.spiegel.de/international/tomorrow/genital-mutilation-in-egypt-stop-taking-
your-daughters-to-be-mutilated-a-1199322.html
Ministry of Health and Population/Egypt, El-Zanaty and Associates/Egypt, and ICF International.
2015. Egypt Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS). 2014. Cairo, Egypt: Ministry of Health and
Population and ICF International. Retrieved from
https://dhsprogram.com/publications/publication-FR302-DHS-Final-Reports.cfm
Sirgany, S. (2016). Egypt toughens penalties for female genital mutilation. CNN. Retrieved from
https://www.cnn.com/2016/12/08/middleeast/egypt-law-fgm/index.html

WHO Factsheets. (2020). Female genital mutilation. WHO. Retrieved from

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/female-genital-mutilation
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). (2020). Female Genital Mulilation Dashboard (FGM)-
Egypt. UNFPA. Retrieved from https://www.unfpa.org/data/fgm/EG
UNICEF. (2016). UNICEF’s Data Work on FGM/C. UNICEF. Retrieved from
https://www.unicef.org/media/files/FGMC_2016_brochure_final_UNICEF_SPREAD.pdf
UNICEF, Egypt. (2020). Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt: Recent trends and projections.
UNICEF. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/egypt/research-and-reports
UNICEF, Egypt. (June, 2020).The United Nations in Egypt supports national accelerated efforts to
eradicate FGM.UNICEF, Egypt. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/egypt/press-
releases/united-nations-egypt-supports-national-accelerated-efforts-eradicate-fgm

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Orchid Project. (2020). Egypt. Orchid Project Working together to end female genital cutting.
Retrieved from https://www.orchidproject.org/about-fgc/where-does-fgc-
happen/Egypt/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIy_uzsZ3a6gIVgobACh3EpQCOEAAYASAAEgJMPfD_BwE

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