Asia-Pacific Health Bodies Reject Medicalization of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Uphold “Do No Harm”
SDG 3: Good Health & Well-being | SDG 5: Gender Equality
Institutions: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare | Ministry of Women and Child Development
A coalition of major health bodies — WHO, UNFPA, the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), FIGO, and the Asia Network to End FGM/C — issued a joint statement on 8 October 2025, condemning the medicalization of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Asia-Pacific. They call on all health workers — doctors, midwives, nurses — to refuse performing, aiding, or condoning FGM under any form, reminding that FGM is never medically safe and always violates ethical, bodily autonomy, and human rights principles.
The statement warns that nearly 1 in 4 FGM acts in the region is now performed by health professionals in clinics or homes, creating a dangerous perception that FGM is safe if performed medically. It stresses that medicalization does not reduce harm but risks normalizing FGM within healthcare systems, undermining legal protections and public trust.
Mandates are urged for health authorities to embed strict codes of conduct, ethics training, legal accountability, and curricula integration to prevent medical complicity.
This joint statement strengthens the normative and professional barrier against FGM medicalization — shifting the fight from legal bans alone to hands-on medical ethics and institutional oversight. It reinforces that laws without medical-system integrity can be hollow, and positions health regulation as central to ending FGM beyond cultural sanctions.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders:
How can national health systems better shield vulnerable girls by enforcing professional bans on FGM, integrating ethics education, and monitoring compliance in both public and private medical settings?
Follow full statement here: WHO – Do No Harm: Joint Statement against the medicalization of FGM in Asia-Pacific