{"id":355839,"date":"2026-07-30T19:07:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T19:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/355839\/"},"modified":"2026-07-30T19:07:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T19:07:10","slug":"wrong-words-can-make-fgm-sound-less-harmful-journalists-told","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/355839\/","title":{"rendered":"Wrong words can make FGM sound less harmful, journalists told"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"HOL
Thursday July 30, 2026<\/p>\n

\"Wrong
Journalists from Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya pose for a group photo with facilitators after a regional training workshop in Nairobi focused on ethical, survivor-centred reporting on female genital mutilation (FGM) and the media’s role in accelerating efforts to end the practice.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mogadishu (HOL) –\u00a0Millions of women and girls across Africa have been subjected to a harmful practice that some communities refer to as “female circumcision.” However, health experts and human rights organisations consider the term medically inaccurate because it can imply an equivalence with male circumcision and understate the severity of the procedure.<\/p>\n

Internationally, the practice is recognised as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), a violation of the human rights of girls and women that can cause lifelong physical, psychological and reproductive health consequences.<\/p>\n

The debate over terminology has become a significant issue in global efforts to eliminate FGM, particularly in Somalia, where an estimated 99% of women and girls have undergone the practice, according Equality Now.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

\"Wrong
Judy Gitau, Associate Director for East and Central Africa at Equality Now, speaks during a regional training workshop for journalists from Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya in Nairobi on responsible and ethical reporting on female genital mutilation (FGM).\u00a0<\/p>\n

Speaking to Hiiraan Online during a regional training workshop for journalists from Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya in Nairobi on Thursday, Gitau said the terminology journalists use when reporting on FGM plays a critical role in shaping public understanding and influencing efforts to end the practice.<\/p>\n

Gitau said referring to FGM as “female circumcision” understates the severity of the practice, explaining that unlike male circumcision, FGM involves the cutting or removal of healthy female genital tissue, often resulting in severe bleeding, lifelong complications and, in some cases, death.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

Beyond the terminology, Gitau urged journalists to use language that informs rather than stigmatises, saying the media has a responsibility to challenge harmful stereotypes and promote accurate reporting on FGM.<\/p>\n

Her remarks reflect the Do No Harm principle, which calls on journalists to report on FGM in ways that do not inflict further harm on survivors or stigmatise practising communities, while ensuring coverage is accurate, respectful and sensitive.<\/p>\n

In line with this approach, Equality Now encourages journalists to frame FGM as a human rights violation, a form of gender-based violence and child abuse. The organisation also advises reporters to avoid vernacular terms that glorify the practice or demean girls and women who have not undergone FGM, while actively challenging misinformation and cultural myths that seek to justify it.<\/p>\n

Reinforcing the need for responsible reporting, Gitau said journalists should avoid derogatory language that discriminates against girls and women who have not undergone FGM.<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

According to Equality Now, the prevalence of FGM has declined significantly over the past three decades in several African countries, including Kenya, Egypt and Burkina Faso. Somalia, however, continues to record one of the world’s highest prevalence rates.<\/p>\n

The organisation says achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly the target of eliminating all harmful practices against women and girls, requires countries to monitor and measure the prevalence of FGM within their populations. Such data is critical for informing policies, tracking progress and strengthening efforts to eradicate the practice.<\/p>\n

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