- FGM/C Research Initiative

Place

The practice is spread across the country, wherever there are Muslim communities, especially Moors, Malays and Dawoodi Bohras

Age

Moor and Malay girls are usually cut 15 or 40 days after birth; Dawoodi Bohra girls appear to be cut between the ages of six and eight

Type

The most-commonly practised forms appear to be Type 1 and Type 4

Agent

Cutting is usually carried out by traditional practitioners, called Osthi Mamis, or by medical professionals among the Dawoodi Bohra

Distribution of FGM/C across Sri Lanka

In the absence of official national datasets, there are only anecdotes as to the prevalence of FGC in some Muslim communities, including the Moor and Malay communities. The practice seems to be spread across the country, wherever there are Muslim communities, especially Moors, Malays and Dawoodi Bohras. However, not all Muslim groups in Sri Lanka practise FGC or see it as a requirement of Islam. Sri Lankan Moors make up more than 90% of the Muslim population and 9.2% of the total population of the country. Malays comprise about 6% of the Muslim population. The majority of Dawoodi Bohras live in India, but in Sri Lanka there are about 2,500, mostly residing in Colombo.