Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) is internationally recognised as a violation of human rights and a major sexual and reproductive health concern. Globally, over 230 million women and girls have undergone FGM/C, with four million more at risk each year. In Asia, the practice affects an estimated 80 million, and in Malaysia 7.5 million women and girls are estimated to be affected. Despite this, FGM/C remains underreported, under-researched, and largely absent from national policy debates. This study presents a country profile of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) in Malaysia, situated within the broader context of Southeast Asia. It examines the practice’s prevalence, trends, drivers, and the legal and policy frameworks influencing it. The research incorporates detailed, field-based case studies exploring the sociocultural dimensions of FGM/C within communities in Penang, Sarawak, and Sabah, as well as among Orang Asli communities, to provide sub-regional and community-level perspectives.
What does it include? Key findings
FGM/C in Malaysia remains highly prevalent, affecting an estimated 53% of women nationally and up to 93% of Malay Muslims, with procedures usually performed in infancy and increasingly medicalised by doctors and midwives. Driven by social norms, cultural traditions, and religious interpretations, the practice is widely seen as a rite of passage, a marker of religious identity, and reinforced by public perceptions of harmlessness. The government has not imposed a legal ban or cohesive policy, and public support remains strong, making change difficult. However, growing theological debate, recognition of the practice as cultural rather than religious, and opportunities for community education and engagement with healthcare providers and religious leaders offer potential entry points for progress.
Strategic Recommendations
Recommendations for Malaysia
- Establish Reliable, Comprehensive, Consistent and Standardised Data Collection
- Strengthen National Policy and Institutional Frameworks on FGM/C
- Promote Religious Re-interpretation and Engagement
- Invest in Community Education and Behaviour Change
Recommendations for the UK
- Support Malaysian Civil Societies to advance Community-Level Awareness and Behaviour Change
- Support UN agencies programmes addressing FGM/C in Malaysia
- Support and leverage Human Rights Mechanisms that call for the elimination of FGM/C
Regional Recommendations on Policy Priorities for Governments, Human Rights, and Development Partners
- Leverage the Beijing +30 and ICPD commitments, which explicitly call for the prohibition and elimination of FGM/C.
- Support regional platforms and align stakeholders to advance shared goals on gender equality and the elimination of harmful practices such as FGM/C.
- Leverage international human rights treaties to reinforce norms and standards that advocate an end to FGM/C, particularly CEDAW and CRC.
- Strengthen international and regional partnerships with agencies such as ASEAN, WHO, and UNESCO, and engage actively to ensure that FGM/C is integrated into broader gender equality and child protection agendas.
- Support regional medical and midwifery associations in developing and promoting professional guidelines that explicitly oppose the medicalisation of FGM/C.
Download the Country Profile here.
Conclusion
This report identifies potential avenues for engagement on FGM/C in Malaysia, leveraging diplomatic relationships, civil society partnerships, and regional mechanisms. The recommendations are grounded in a nuanced understanding of the specificities and sensitivities of the national contexts in Malaysia, encouraging Malaysia to move toward greater transparency, accountability, and recognition of FGM/C as a harmful practice.
About ARROW
ARROW is a regional non-profit women and young people’s organization based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was established in 1993 upon a needs assessment arising out of a regional women’s health project, where the originating vision was to create a resource center that would ‘enable women to better define and control their lives.
About Orchid Project
Orchid Project is an international NGO, with offices in Nairobi and London, working at the forefront of the global movement to create a world free from FGM/C. At the heart of our mission are grassroots organisations that are pioneering change, and by working together, one step at a time, we believe we can help to end FGM/C globally.
About the Asia Network to End FGM/C
The Asia Network to End Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) is a group of civil-society actors, led by ARROW and Orchid Project, working across Asia to end all forms of FGM/C. It does this by connecting, collaborating and supporting Asian actors and survivors to advocate for an end to this harmful practice. The Network comprises almost 100 members across 12 countries in the Asia region. Members are activists, civil society organisations, survivors, researchers, medical professionals, journalists and religious leaders, who are committed to working collaboratively together to promote the abandonment of all forms of FGM/C across the Asia region.
