Female Genital Cutting (FGC) is commonly practiced in about 28 countries predominantly in Africa and Asia. It can be performed for a variety of reasons including ‘coming of age’ or rite of passage from child to adulthood; it can signal in a physical way the full membership of a girl or young woman in their clan, lineage or ethnic community; it can be used to indicate marriageability within the community. FGC is a multi-generational issue, and must be addressed across generations. Women from these countries are migrating with increasing frequency to Canada, the USA, the UK, Europe and Australia.

Topic Resources

Webinars

Unable to attend a live event? BRYCS’ archives all webinars for your convenience.

Raising a Girl: Ways to Use the BRYCS Guide in Your Work with Refugee Families

Raising a Girl: A Handbook for Newcomer Mothers and Daughters addresses things that often come up in families raising girls in the [...]

Community Conversations: An Introduction to Female Genital Cutting (FGC)

BRYCS' Community Conversations project aims to reduce the risk and improve the care of women and girls affected by FGC, particularly among [...]

BRYCS Publications

Consist of user-friendly resources developed from original research and writing.

Female Genital Cutting Backgrounder
Raising a Girl: A Handbook for Newcomer Mothers and Daughters (Available in Somali)
- Ways to Use the Handbook
Starting a Conversation with Your Doctor for Women and Girls Who Have Experienced FGC (Available in Amharic, Arabic, French, Oromo, & Somali)
Pregnancy and Childbirth for Women Affected by FGC ( Available in Amharic, French, Somali, & Tigrinya)
Female Genital Cutting Fact Sheets for Practitioners

Highlighted Resource Lists

The following “Highlighted Resources” are lists of resources on various topics that are chosen by BRYCS staff. Each list includes 15-20 resources that are frequently recommended by BRYCS staff when consulting with service providers and providing technical assistance. Lists are updated regularly.

Promising Practices

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Topic Blog

Female Genital Cutting: Improving the Care of Women and Girls at Risk

“It is what my Grandmother called the three feminine sorrows: The day of circumcision, the wedding night, and the birth of a baby.” – A [...]

The Practice of Female Genital Cutting

Female genital cutting (FGC) has many names around the world. It is known as female genital mutilation (FGM), female circumcision, sunna, khatna, excision, and many [...]