Every year, an estimated 4.3 million girls worldwide are at risk of undergoing female genital mutilation (FGM). FGM is the removal of external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. Though often viewed as a bygone or foreign ritual, FGM is still present worldwide. Today, more than 230 million women and girls live with its consequences, many continuing to experience trauma, depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress.

Recognized by the United Nations as a violation of women’s and girls’ rights, FGM infringes upon the right to health, security, and bodily integrity. While FGM remains most prevalent across parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, the physical and psychological impacts persist among migrant communities in Western countries, where survivors often live in silence, trapped by stigma, shame, and an inability to access medical or mental health support.

Contrary to popular belief, FGM is not a religious requirement. It is driven primarily by cultural, social, and gender norms. Communities often frame it as a way to ensure marriageability, gain social acceptance, and present the notion of “purity,” or to control female sexuality. These beliefs vary across regions and families but are consistently rooted to social pressures rather than any religious mandate.

Manasi Kumar, a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist specializing in FGM, stresses the profound yet understudied psychological impacts. According to Kumar, the most frequent impacts are acute and posttraumatic stress, anxiety, depression, and anger. Sexual difficulties may also arise, sometimes affecting male partners who witness their loved ones’ suffering. Over the long term, individuals can experience complex PTSD, substance use disorders, schizoaffective symptoms, and chronic fatigue.

Cultural beliefs and community dynamics also shape how women experience and cope with FGM. Kumar explains that when women participate voluntarily to gain social prestige or approval, they may internalize pain, normalize suffering, and be in denial about its impact.

However, when it’s performed without consent, the trauma can be immense, creating a fractured sense of self, fuelling resentment, particularly toward those complicit in enforcing the practice. Survivors often remain silent because of fear of social exclusion, shame, or the belief that no one will understand their experiences. Even survivors of FGM who undergo the procedure in clinical settings may experience reduced immediate physical risks, but they can still develop fear of the healthcare system, leaving young girls and women feeling distrustful.

Despite the prevalence and severity of FGM, psychological care for survivors remains scarce. Kumar emphasizes that psychological interventions are poorly developed. However, she highlights the potential of trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (TF-CBT), interpersonal psychotherapy, and group therapy, particularly when combined with sexual health care, obstetric support, and relationship counselling. TF-CBT addresses the need for support, while group therapy provides a shared space for survivors to connect. Emerging medical solutions, such as reconstructive surgeries, also offer some hope for restoring physical and emotional well-being.

Without accessible psychological care, far too many survivors continue to suffer in silence.

This is especially true for women and girls in Western countries, who have to navigate stigma and isolation; these are people who have migrated from their countries of birth. A 2024 study highlighted the importance of integrating FGM screenings into primary care settings, ensuring culturally sensitive environments where survivors can receive compassionate, trauma-informed care.

FGM is not a cultural tradition to be preserved. It is a human rights issue, one that has sparked a mental health crisis affecting millions of women and girls around the world. Addressing FGM requires more than awareness. It demands coordinated, long-term action that integrates mental health with sexual and reproductive health services.

Kumar emphasises the need for trauma and resilience-focused programs, which can help survivors build self-esteem, manage anxiety and depression, and explore culturally sensitive alternatives, such as symbolic cutting rituals, that preserve social meaning without causing harm. Meaningful progress also depends on local politicians, male allies, and community leaders, alongside robust legal frameworks to deter harmful practices. She says, “Only through survivor-centred advocacy, comprehensive healthcare, and sustained global action can the invisible scars of FGM be addressed.”

— Kiana Chanté Gillings McArthur, Contributing Writer 

Featured Image: Photo by Ricky Turner on Unsplash; Creative Commons

Body Image #1: Photo by Polina Lavor on Unsplash; Creative Commons

Body Image #2: Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash; Creative Commons