Thursday July 30, 2026
Journalists from Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya join facilitators for a group photograph after a regional workshop in Nairobi on ethical, survivor-centred coverage of female genital mutilation (FGM) and the media’s role in accelerating efforts to end the practice.
Mogadishu (AX) – Across Africa, millions of women and girls have endured a harmful practice described in some communities as “female circumcision.” Health experts and human rights organisations reject that term as medically inaccurate, warning that it suggests a false equivalence with male circumcision and obscures the procedure’s severity.
The practice is internationally recognised as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), a human rights violation with potentially lifelong physical, psychological and reproductive health consequences for girls and women.
The language used to describe the practice has emerged as a central concern in the global campaign to eliminate FGM, especially in Somalia, where an estimated 99% of women and girls have undergone it, according to Equality Now.
“Terminology is important whenever we are talking about FGM. We need to understand that female genital mutilation is mutilation. It is not circumcision,” said Judy Gitau, Associate Director for East and Central Africa at Equality Now.
Judy Gitau, Associate Director for East and Central Africa at Equality Now, addresses journalists from Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya during a regional workshop in Nairobi on responsible and ethical reporting about female genital mutilation (FGM).
Gitau spoke to Hiiraan Online on Thursday during the Nairobi training, stressing that journalists’ choice of words can shape public understanding of FGM and influence efforts to bring the practice to an end.
Calling FGM “female circumcision” minimises the gravity of what occurs, Gitau said. Unlike male circumcision, she explained, FGM entails cutting or removing healthy female genital tissue and can lead to severe bleeding, lifelong complications and, in some cases, death.
“Circumcision is simply the removal of skin. No one is necessarily cutting nerves, glands or veins. But whenever we talk about FGM, we are talking about cutting nerves and healthy genital tissue. That is why there is often severe bleeding, sometimes even death and lifelong scarring. When we call it ‘female circumcision,’ we miss the point,” she said.
Gitau also called on journalists to choose language that informs audiences without stigmatising them, arguing that the media must confront harmful stereotypes and ensure its reporting on FGM remains accurate.
That guidance reflects the Do No Harm principle, which urges journalists to cover FGM without causing additional harm to survivors or stigmatising communities where it is practised, while maintaining accuracy, respect and sensitivity.
Under this approach, Equality Now advises journalists to present FGM as a human rights violation, gender-based violence and child abuse. Reporters are also encouraged to avoid vernacular expressions that glorify the practice or disparage girls and women who have not undergone it, and to challenge misinformation and cultural myths used to defend FGM.
Underscoring the importance of responsible coverage, Gitau warned against derogatory wording that discriminates against women and girls who have not undergone FGM.
“We should not use derogatory language or terminology that portrays girls who are not cut as somehow less than others. Our reporting should communicate that this is a harmful practice that belongs in the past and should no longer be practised.”
Equality Now says FGM prevalence has fallen substantially over the past three decades in several African countries, among them Kenya, Egypt and Burkina Faso. Somalia, by contrast, still has one of the highest prevalence rates in the world.
Meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly the target to eliminate all harmful practices against women and girls, requires countries to track and measure FGM prevalence among their populations, the organisation says. Reliable data is essential to guide policy, assess progress and reinforce efforts to eradicate the practice.
