Introduction
Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) amongst Bohras in India has gained systematic public attention since 2012. The issue first rose to prominence because of two international legal cases on FGM/C against practicing Bohras in Australia and the US. We have since seen the rise of a strong survivor-led movement calling for an end to the practice of Khafd amongst Bohras. This anti-FGM/C movement seeks to end the practice through legal reform in India and by raising community awareness about the impact of the harmful traditional practice. Very few national-level field research studies have been published to understand the practice of Khafd in India. Supporters of Khafd often cite the ‘lack of evidence’ about the impact of FGM/C in India as a justification that it is not harmful and therefore should be continued. The Government of India too has used the lack of ‘official data’ to shirk its responsibility to address or even acknowledge the existence of FGM/C in India. The current study contributes to the small body of existing research studies on FGM/C in India. It not only builds evidence of the existence of the practice in India today, but also seeks to document survivors’ experiences of the harmful impacts of Khafd as practiced by Bohras.
