female genital mutilation

female genital mutilation

English

Pronunciation

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Noun

female genital mutilation (countable and uncountable, plural female genital mutilations)

1. The complete amputation or partial cutting of the external female genitalia. [from 20th c.]
2. Any mutilation of the female genitals done for non-medical reasons, such as the infliction of abrasion, burns (chemical or cauterizing), or cuts or slits, or amputation or piercing. [from 21st c.]

Synonyms

• FGM

Hypernyms

• genital mutilation

Hyponyms

• female genital cutting (FGC)
• female circumcision

Coordinate terms

• male genital mutilation

Translations

the complete amputation or partial cutting of the external female genitalia

Finnish: naisen sukupuolielinten silpominen French: mutilations génitales féminines f pl Galician: mutilación xenital feminina f

German: Verstümmelung weiblicher Genitalien f, Beschneidung weiblicher Genitalien f Polish: wyrzezanie (pl) n Spanish: mutilación genital femenina f

References

• Eliminating Female Genital Mutilation, a 1995 report by the WHO:

  The WHO/UNICEF/UNFPA Joint Statement classified female genital mutilation into four types [...]

  Type IV: All other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes, for example: pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterization.

  [...]

  Insertion of harmful substances can be defined as a form of genital mutilation [...]