A silent Pain

A Silent Pain: The Reality of Female Genital Mutilation Among Somali Girls

She was just a child. Too young to understand what was about to happen, too small to resist it. No one explained. They only said, “This is our culture. This is what makes you a good girl.”

That day, she underwent Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), specifically the most severe form—infibulation, commonly known as female circumcision in Somali communities.

The pain was unbearable. The fear was overwhelming. But what hurt most was the silence that followed. No one asked how she felt. No one spoke about the trauma. She was expected to forget and move on.

But FGM does not end in childhood.

As she grew older, the consequences became clearer:

• Chronic pain during menstruation and urination

• Recurrent infections and severe complications

• Emotional trauma, anxiety, and fear

• Difficulties during marriage, intimacy, and childbirth

• Increased risk of maternal health complications

Thousands of Somali girls and women live with these same scars—physical and psychological. Many suffer in silence, believing their pain is normal, believing they have no choice.

FGM is often defended as culture or tradition, but it is neither a religious obligation nor a harmless practice. It is a violation of human rights and a form of gender-based violence that robs girls of their health, dignity, and future.

Ending FGM requires courage—courage to speak, to educate, and to challenge harmful norms. Communities must be engaged, parents must be informed, and girls must be protected.

Every girl deserves a childhood free from fear.

Every woman deserves a body that has not been harmed.

Silence sustains FGM—but voices can end it.