FGM – female genital mutilation – is not a cultural curiosity or a private “custom.” It is a human rights violation. Global health organisations recognise it as a practice that harms health, violates bodily integrity and targets women’s sexuality. Yet it persists in more than 90 countries worldwide.

FGM as Control of Sexuality

FGM takes many forms, from cutting parts of the clitoris to sewing the vulva almost closed. What these practices have in common is their intention: controlling girls’ and women’s sexuality. By reducing or eliminating pleasure, limiting sexual autonomy or “guaranteeing” virginity and fidelity, FGM attempts to structurally enforce patriarchy on the body itself.

When we talk about FGM, we are talking about the deliberate reshaping of bodies to fit narrow scripts of purity and obedience. It is not a neutral tradition. It is an act of violence against pleasure, consent and self‑ownership.

Bodily Autonomy for Women, Trans Men and Intersex People

Ending FGM is part of a broader struggle for bodily autonomy. The same logic that says “we must cut this girl to make her acceptable” appears in practices that pressure trans men into surgeries or sterilisation, and in policies that allow non‑consensual surgeries on intersex children.

A world without FGM is a world where everyone – women, trans men, intersex people and beyond – has the right to decide what happens to their own genitals. No one else gets to claim that power.

The Role of Education and Visual Tools

One of the obstacles to ending FGM is lack of information about what exactly is being cut and what the long‑term consequences are. Here, visual tools like anatomical models can be transformative. When people see a full, correctly scaled clitoris for the first time – and then see how FGM alters it – something shifts.

Educational models can:

• Help communities understand which tissues are removed or damaged
• Show that the clitoris is much larger than a “tiny button”
• Illustrate the connection between cutting and long‑term pain, infections and loss of pleasure

These models are not just objects; they are conversation starters, training tools and empathy builders.

Collaborative Models Against FGM

Creating dedicated FGM educational models in partnership with organisations and associations is one way to ground activism in tangible resources. These models can travel to workshops, clinics, schools and conferences, allowing educators to demonstrate the impact of FGM clearly and respectfully.

When people can hold a model, compare intact and cut anatomy, and ask questions, the abstract idea of “genital cutting” becomes a concrete, urgent reality.

A Collective Call to End FGM

Ending FGM requires:

• Legal frameworks that criminalise the practice and protect survivors
• Community‑led education and alternative rites of passage
• Training for healthcare workers to provide respectful care and support
• Tools – like anatomical models – that make the consequences visible

Uniting our voices against FGM is part of building a world where everyone has the right to control their own body and their own pleasure. That means listening to survivors, funding local initiatives and challenging any narrative that frames FGM as harmless or inevitable.