Publication - Advice and guidance
Responding to female genital mutilation: multi-agency guidance
A framework for agencies and practitioners to develop and agree processes that promote the safety and wellbeing of women and girls.
Appendix 2: Traditional and local terms for FGM
| Country | Term used for | Language | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt | Thara | Arabic | Deriving from the Arabic word ‘tahar’ meaning to clean/purify |
| Khitan | Arabic | Circumcision – used for both FGM and male circumcision | |
| Khifad | Arabic | Deriving from the Arabic word ‘khafad’ meaning to lower (rarely used in everyday language) | |
| Ethiopia | Megrez | Amharic | Circumcision/cutting |
| Absum | Harrari | Name giving ritual | |
| Eritrea | Mekhnishab | Tigregna | Circumcision/cutting |
| Kenya | Kutairi | Swahili | Circumcision – used for both FGM and male circumcision |
| Kutairi was ichana | Swahili | Circumcision of girls | |
| Nigeria | Ibi/Ugwu | Igbo | The act of cutting – used for both FGM and male circumcision |
| Sunna | Mandingo | Religious tradition/obligation – for Muslims | |
| Sierra Leone | Sunna | Soussou | Religious tradition/obligation – for Muslims |
| Bondo | Temenee/ Mandingo/Limba | Integral part of an initiation rite into adulthood – for non-Muslims | |
| Bondo/Sonde | Mendee | Integral part of an initiation rite into adulthood – for non-Muslims | |
| Somalia | Gudiniin | Somali | Circumcision used for both FGM and male circumcision |
| Halalays | Somali | Deriving from the Arabic word ‘halal’ i.e. ‘sanctioned’ – implies purity. Used by Northern & Arabic speaking Somalis. | |
| Qodiin | Somali | Stitching/tightening/sewing refers to infibulation | |
| Sudan | Khifad | Arabic | Deriving from the Arabic word ‘khafad’ meaning to lower (rarely used in everyday language) |
| Tahoor | Arabic | Deriving from the Arabic word ‘tahar’ meaning to purify | |
| Chad – the | Bagne | Used by the Sara Madjingaye | |
| Sara subgroup | Gadja | Adapted from ‘ganza’ used in the Central African Republic | |
| Guinea-Bissau | Fanadu di Mindjer | Kriolu | ‘Circumcision of girls’ |
| Gambia | Niaka | Mandinka | Literally to ‘cut/weed clean’ |
| Kuyango | Mandinka | Meaning ‘the affair’ but also the name for the shed built for initiates | |
| Musolula Karoola | Mandinka | Meaning ‘the women’s side’/‘that which concerns women’ |
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