FGM is internationally recognized as a serious human rights violation involving the partial or complete removal of, or injury to, external female genitalia for non-medical reasons
CAIRO, Egypt, May 13, 2025/APO Group/ --
Since Sudan’s devastating war erupted in April 2023, over a million people have fled to neighbouring Egypt seeking refuge. Both countries have laws banning female genital mutilation (FGM), but despite this, Sudan and Egypt have some of the highest rates of FGM globally. A timely new study, Female Genital Mutilation Amongst Sudanese Migrants in Greater Cairo: Perceptions and Trends, by Equality Now (www.EqualityNow.org) and Tadwein for Gender Studies, provides valuable insights into how migration and exposure to new cultural environments and social networks are influencing FGM practices amongst Sudanese families in Egypt.
Photo credit: Tadwein for Gender Studies
Photo credit: Tadwein for Gender Studies
In-depth interviews revealed positive attitudes toward abandoning FGM. Younger, educated individuals and women with personal experiences of FGM harm voiced some of the strongest opposition to continuing the practice, while men often cited FGM’s negative impact on marital intimacy as a key reason for discontinuation.
However, FGM is viewed by some as a means of maintaining cultural identity and status, and as essential for social acceptance. Many interviewees thought families who embraced FGM in Sudan would likely continue it in Egypt.
Dr. Dima Dabbous from Equality Now explains: “Our study reveals complex and diverse ways Sudanese migrants in Egypt are upholding, modifying, or rejecting deep-rooted cultural practices like FGM. Migration brings both challenges and opportunities for abandonment, and understanding how communities perceive and respond to their new situation is crucial for designing and implementing effective, culturally sensitive, and context-specific interventions.”
FGM in Sudan and Egypt
FGM is internationally recognized as a serious human rights violation involving the partial or complete removal of, or injury to, external female genitalia for non-medical reasons. Found in at least 94 countries (apo-opa.co/44vsny1) and impacting over 230 million women and girls (apo-opa.co/44vsny1)—including 144 million in Africa—it has no health benefits and it is deeply rooted in gender discrimination and attempts to control the bodies and sexuality of women and girls.
Data from Sudan’s 2014 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, which is the most recent national-level survey available, showed that 86.6% of women aged 15 to 49 had undergone FGM (apo-opa.co/3YFNCJL), dropping to 66.3% for girls from birth to 14. FGM is regarded as a means of upholding family honour and enforcing ideals around purity, modesty, and control over female sexuality.
Conducted as a rite of passage into womanhood and a prerequisite for marriage, many families fear that uncut daughters may struggle to find husbands, and pressure is intensified by the stigma surrounding unmarried women and the perceived shame reflected on relatives. Religious misconceptions also play a significant role, with many mistakenly believing that certain types of FGM are a requirement of Islam.
In Egypt, approximately 86% of women aged 15 to 49 have undergone FGM (apo-opa.co/43igE3L), according to the 2022 Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) Report.
Both Egyptian and Sudanese women often feel pressured to conform to traditional practices upheld by families and communities, and without support from husbands or social networks, it can be extremely difficult to resist. Women with higher levels of education and wealth are more likely to reject FGM and refrain from cutting their daughters.
A trend toward medicalization has been occurring in Sudan. The shift is even more pronounced in Egypt, where an estimated 74% of FGM procedures are conducted by health practitioners — one of the highest rates globally. Medicalization is wrongly perceived as a safe alternative, but it doesn’t eliminate the physical and psychological risks. FGM remains a fundamental breach of human rights, and the involvement of medical professionals does not make the practice safe, ethical, or legal.
Egypt has stringent laws to combat FGM, including lengthy prison sentences for parents and those performing FGM, with higher penalties for medical professionals. Escorting a victim to be cut is also subject to criminal sanctions. However, the law is rarely implemented as many still support FGM, and do not want family members prosecuted, meaning cases are not often reported to authorities.
Continuation or abandonment of FGM
Awareness about laws prohibiting FGM in Sudan and Egypt varied significantly among those interviewed for the study. The assumption that Egypt has strict anti-FGM penalties has fostered a cautious approach, with some fearing legal repercussions, including deportation. Although older generations were generally more informed, they were unable to specify legal penalties.
In Sudan, older women are often the primary decision-makers regarding FGM and tend to be supportive of continuing the practice. However, with some older family members remaining in Sudan, this has helped reduce family pressure on Sudanese girls in Egypt to be cut.
Most of the study participants described how Egyptians commonly hold negative perceptions about Sudanese migrants and this can make relationships fragile. As a result, interviewees thought many Sudanese families are less likely to seek information about FGM from Egyptian sources, nor ask doctors in Egypt to perform FGM—an avoidance that interviewees suggested could contribute to the abandonment of the practice.
Economic hardship and the need to provide basic necessities like housing and food have contributed to FGM’s delay or discontinuation. Dr. Amal Fahmy, from Tadwein for Gender Studies, explains: “What we are seeing is a quiet but powerful transformation away from FGM. Women are leading the way in protecting their daughters, often choosing to prioritize food, shelter, and education over cultural traditions.”
However, financial incentives can also perpetuate FGM. Some see it as a way to improve daughters’ marriage prospects and secure their economic future, while the need for traditional midwives to earn income poses a risk of FGM being performed.
The migration of Sudanese families to Egypt has led to the creation of a close-knit social network nicknamed “Small Sudan.” While most survey participants spoke against FGM’s continuation, some acknowledged there are families who remain deeply attached to customs such as FGM. Older women were particularly sceptical about the law’s deterrent effect, believing determined families would covertly circumvent restrictions.
Concerns about stigma and suspicions surrounding daughters’ sexual behaviour were cited as reasons for maintaining FGM. Some viewed it as a way to control sexual conduct, especially after relocating to Egypt, where they feared their daughters might engage in perceived unacceptable activity if left uncut.
Recommendations
Key recommendations include expanding awareness amongst Sudanese migrant communities about Egypt’s anti-FGM laws and negative legal and health consequences. It is essential to empower parents, particularly mothers, with accurate information and practical tools to resist societal and familial pressures.
Engaging trusted figures within the “Small Sudan” community—such as elders, grandmothers, midwives, and faith leaders—is critical to shifting attitudes. Outreach efforts need to challenge misconceptions that FGM is a religious requirement, and tailored advocacy should promote an understanding of human rights perspectives that address how gender inequalities sustain FGM.
Ending FGM among Sudanese migrant families requires a holistic, community-centred approach that addresses both the causes and evolving dynamics of the practice post-migration. Investing in further research—especially longitudinal and community-based studies—can help track shifting attitudes and practices over time and inform more targeted, effective interventions.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Equality Now.Equality Now combines grassroots activism with legal advocacy at the international, regional, and national levels to achieve systemic change, and collaborates with local partners to ensure governments enact and enforce laws and policies that uphold women’s and girls’ rights.
For more information about FGM around the world, please check Equality Now’s 2025 report, The Time Is Now: End Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting, An Urgent Need for a Global Response – Five Year Update (https://apo-opa.co/44vsny1)
And to assist media professionals and others with reporting about FGM, please refer to Equality Now’s ‘Journalists' Handbook on Female Genital Mutilation,’ Africa (https://apo-opa.co/4jT7IJb) and Global (https://apo-opa.co/4jRd9rQ) editions.
Bad news. This 3rd time he escaped unhurt. Lucky guy.
Cheers.
Somaliland and Somalia should together to crush those insurgents, there are a few in Somaliland hiding in Hargeisa and Burco everybody knows that. In Mogadishu they are hiding out there too. There are al shabab sympathizers in Hargeisa, Burco,and Mogadishu those people should be put away and get their heads cut off.
Godane and the majority of his subordinates all from Somaliland, yet they fight for so long everywhere in somalia from Kismaayo to Boosaaso. They donot have roots in Somalia this inhumane group fight the troops of many African nation at the same time. They ousted even those warmangers like them such as Dahir Aweys and sent him on the run for his life. Godane and his horrible assistants donot dare venture to Somaliland because they know Somaliland is a democratic state where freedoms flourish and security is tight. Long live Somaliland, long live freedom of multy-party system. Glory to SNM and all patriotic Somalilanders everywhere.
@Ciile,
Looks that you are confused about this Godane and his Alshabab Wing?
Godane is one of the big picture of Alshabab fighters in Somalia and Alshabab
emanated from Somalia and not from Somaliland. There are no such thing Alshabab
in Somaliland. Somaliland is a relatively peaceful Sovereign State free from
all the militia gangsters operating in the failed Sovereign State of Somalia.
Cheers.
Your confused it's Somaliland which is alshabab not Somalia.
What are you saying Somaliland is alshabab I think not. Somalia and Somaliland are neither alshabab they have alshabab loyalist yes in both places. Saudi Arabia and the UAE Pakistan are the ones who established alshabab and are financing them to so they don't want a stable horn of Africa.
5,000 Shebab fighters? That is a whole brigade. Which fox holes are they hiding in? I suspect there is vested interest among stakeholders in Somalia to ensure Shebab poses some threat – as long as it does not tip the balance – to warrant receiving monetary aid from international donors.If they wanted to AU forces would have purged Shebab long ago, but receiving $725 to $1,030 a month is awfully enticing for any African. That is equivalent to one quadrillion Somaliland Shilling, lol. With that kind of SL Shilling, I could own my own G@radagland Republic.
Unbelievable news!!!!!!!!!! Al-Shabab and him are the same people they were fighting together in Kismaayo and assassinating our scholars in Puntland doing illegal business across the country. This was a set up to fool the audiences betraying as shababs as their enemy. Come’on!!!! We know you. We puntland pple the founders of politics million years old.
Burger King stop with your lies we all know that puntland is alshabab sympathizers and you guys pay them millions of dollars to destabilize Somalia and to cause a crisis, what set up are you talking about the president of Somalia hates those cockroaches and that goes for Somaliland president. Puntland loves alshabab and you darods don't want a peaceful Somalia.
Farole is shabab those are faroole goons.
Don't insult hawyias infront of me you darod scum. what good are darods anyway they are the scum of the earth.
Present your proof that Somalia and Somaliland are doing those activates. What kind of illegal business are you talking you puntlanders do illegal business with your pirating and terrosim. You guys are assassinating your scholars in puntland not Somalia don't pin your problems somebody else okay and you guys caused the mess in kismaayo.
@Punt-King,
Sxb Garowe and Mogadiscio are two tigers flnaking the Somalia flag. Whenever I look at
the Somalia map with the two tigers like Mecca and the Quds, my stomach jolts!!!!
The Somalians are all vulnerably mafia configured.
Cheers.
Don't forget Hargeisa.
Don't insult Mogadishu you somalilanders are destroying so you can get recognition.
You somalilanders are causing the problems in Mogadishu so your country can get recognition.
The world don't want somalia to be peace no matter what they just want to continue this mayhem for the next 100 years because they could easily dismember Al shabaab by funding and creating a proper Somali National Army and not bringing more useless AMISOM forces who are in Somalia just to collect their payroll.
A Somali soldier gets only 100$ per month while the Amisom soldier receives $1300 per month. The Somali soldiers does all the hardworking they even confront the al Shabaab militia without any proper uniforms, no proper training, no headgear, no weapons or ammunition, no vehicles, no military boots etc to rub salt into their wound they even go months without pay.
The AMISOM are well equipped with proper armoured vehicles but they hardly do any fighting they stay in their bases most of the time even those from the djiboutians forces are useless since they deployed troops
in Somalia like two years ago they still haven't left Beletweeyne.
All the foreign soldiers in Somalia must go home send them all packing expect the Ethiopians.
Somalia has enough force to stabilise the entire Somalia Puntland along has thousands of soldiers sitting quietly, doing nothing, Ahlu Sunna Wal Jamaa has experienced soldiers who have fought with Al shabaab before along with the Ras Kamboni rebels, Hiran rebels, khaatumo rebels, Barre Hirale clan militias or we could even use those from the Ogaden National Liberation Front who have experienced in guerrilla tactics.
But Beledweyne is peaceful thanks to Djibouti special forces. Djibouti elite forces have restored law and order in otherwise lawless Beledweyne. No one's head gets sawed off now. The market is open, people are trading, women are back to wearing their bras. I just can't wait to visit to thank our young boys for a job well done.
Surely you can't compare Puntland ragtag militia to a well trained and disciplined force like Djibouti's. I will take that as a joke from you. Next to U.S. military and IDF, Djibouti Armed Forces is the envy of the world.
Beledweyne is peaceful thanks to Djibouti special forces???? looool You and your jokes really crack me up wallahi. On 31 December 2011 Beledweyne was attacked from four sides by Ethiopian, Somali nation Army, Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah and the Shabelle Valley Administration Al-Shabab fled in hurry left most of their weapons and retreated back to Bulo Burte.
Beledweyne was given to Djibouti armed forces on a plate without ever engaging with al shabaab. If Puntland armed forces was paid the same money as those from Djibouti Amisom I have no doubt Puntland armed forces would have reached the rest of the Hiran district Al shabaab still controls like Bulo Burte, Jalalaqsi, Mahas etc and dislodged them in no time.