Life After The Cut: FGM Survivor Shares Her Story

Should a tradition continue even when it inflicts scars—seen and unseen? As we mark the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) today, lawyer, and gender advocate Toyin Falaiye takes us on a deeply personal journey of what it means to be an FGM survivor. From battling recurring infections to years of infertility struggles and a distressed relationship with intimacy, her story is an emotional rollercoaster that sheds light on the lifelong impact of FGM. The World Health Organization (WHO) describes FGM as all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons. According to the WHO, FGM damages healthy and normal female genital tissue and interferes with the natural functions of girls' and women’s bodies Other longterm effects of FGM are sexual problems, which include pain during intercourse and decreased satisfaction. Watch, learn, and share with your loved ones. Together, we can eradicate FGM.