Don't forget the older women who experienced genital mutilation

When we talk about female genital mutilation, the conversation often focuses on protecting girls. Of course, it is important both to prevent and stop female genital mutilation. But an exclusive focus on children and young people means that many older women, who are already living with the consequences of what happened to them as children, go unnoticed and that their needs are never met.

The report Right to Health: The Needs of Older Women Living with Female Genital Mutilation and Elderly Care Services’ Ability to Meet Them (available in Swedish), produced by Jämställd Utveckling Skåne, Existera and RISE, highlights women aged 65 to 85 who have experienced female genital mutilation.

The report describes how these women may live with problems that have followed them throughout their lives. For some, this involves pain, infections or difficulty urinating, for others, the psychological consequences have the greatest impact. These may include anxiety, shame, fear and traumatic memories, as well as feeling different, excluded or questioned. Over the years, several have become accustomed to pain, shame and being questioned, and do not believe they can receive help.

As they grow older, even everyday needs can make life more challenging for these women. Someone who needs home care may require help with matters that were previously very private, such as washing their genital area or changing incontinence pads. For a person with experience of female genital mutilation, this can feel deeply exposing.

This is why the approach taken by home care staff is so important. The women in the report describe how staff members’ tone of voice, looks and questions can determine whether they feel able to accept help. A calm conversation, clear explanations, and the opportunity to say no or take a break can make a great difference. Many also wish for the same staff members to visit regularly, since it is easier to discuss sensitive issues with someone they recognise and have learned they can trust.

At the same time, the report shows that many people working in elderly care lack knowledge about female genital mutilation. Staff often want to do the right thing, but do not always know how to ask about it, where to turn, or what support is available—either for themselves as professionals or for the women in their care. As a result, the support women receive risks becoming entirely arbitrary. The municipality a woman lives in, or the individual staff member she happens to encounter, can become decisive.

This needs to change. Elderly care staff need and deserve training, clear and accessible routines, and well-defined pathways to healthcare and counselling support. Better collaboration is also needed between municipalities, primary care centres, specialist clinics and organisations that support these women.

Above all, society needs to stop expecting women themselves to bear the full responsibility for disclosing, explaining and finding the right help. Having been subjected to female genital mutilation is never her fault. She should be able to receive support with respect, on her own terms and without feeling alone.

Download and read the report (in Swedish): link to the report.