While there has been an overall decline in the prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) across countries, this progress is likely to be offset by rapid population growth in countries where FGM occurs, unless efforts to eliminate the practice are renewed in light of recent research, and urgently stepped up. Globally, at least 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone some form of female genital mutilation (FGM). If current trends continue, 15 million more girls could be affected by 2030.

The Training Manual on Gender and Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) is a comprehensive tool that field facilitators can use to approach Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) from a gender perspective in order to increase participants’ understanding of FGM/C as a harmful practice and a form of violence against women and girls (VAWG).

During the training proposed by this manual, participants reflect on the unequal power relations between men and women as the root cause of FGM/C. They discuss how gender discrimination creates social expectations about women’s bodies and sexuality. They look at the socioeconomic, cultural and institutional factors that maintain the practice of FGM/C. They analyze the role of girls and women, boys and men as change agents for abandonment of the practice as well as sources of resistance and they consider a range of programme approaches that have had varying levels of success.

The Manual covers the following topics: Data and FGM/C, Power and Control, FGM/C as a form of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), Change agents and sources of resistance, Addressing Harmful Beliefs about FGM/C, and Gender and FGM/C programming.

This manual was developed by UN Women in partnership with the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on Female Genital Mutilation. Click here to download the training manual.