Abandoning Female Genital Cutting: Prevalence, Attitudes, and Efforts to End the Practice (PDF: 380KB)

(September 2001) More than 130 million girls and women worldwide have undergone female genital cutting (FGC), and each year nearly 2 million more girls are at risk. FGC is a traditional practice that involves cutting or altering the female genitalia as a rite of passage or for other sociocultural reasons. While some research indicates that many women who undergo FGC do not have health problems as a result of the procedure, for others, the practice can have serious health consequences. These include hemorrhage, shock, pain, infection, difficulties during childbirth, and psychological and sexual problems that can damage a girl's lifetime health. These potential health effects are aggravated by the type of female genital cutting that girls and women experience. Other factors in determining the extent of health effects of FGC include the practitioner's expertise and tools, hygienic conditions, and access to adequate health care.

Over the past twenty years, FGC has been increasingly recognized as a health and human rights issue among governments, the international community, and professional health organizations. As a result of this attention, consensus against FGC has gradually emerged and strong efforts are now being made on the international, national, and community levels to end the practice. Nongovernmental organizations working locally and internationally implement the majority of FGC abandonment programs; presently, there are at least 100 groups working on the issue. While community-based programs are at the core of efforts to abandon FGC, national and international laws, policies, and resources are also needed to create a supportive environment for these local initiatives.

FGC exists mainly in sub-Saharan and northeastern Africa, but it has spread to other regions of the world through migration. It is practiced by people from all educational levels and social classes, among urban and rural residents, and among many different religious and ethnic groups. There is, however, great variability from country to country regarding these and many other factors. These include the age at which FGC occurs, prevalence and attitudes regarding FGC, the type of FGC practiced, and the type of practitioner who performs the procedure, the conditions under which FGC is performed, and the rituals and traditions surrounding the practice.

This report sheds light on the practice of FGC, drawing on recent Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data (and special tabulations of these data) from nine countries: Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic (CAR), Egypt, Eritrea, Kenya, Mali, Sudan, Tanzania, and Yemen. FGC national prevalence in these countries ranges from nearly universal (90 percent or more) in Egypt, Eritrea, Mali, and Sudan, to 18 percent in Tanzania. In Burkina Faso, CAR, Eritrea, Kenya, and Tanzania, there is some evidence of a decline in the practice among younger women. On the other hand, in Egypt, Mali, and Sudan, there has been virtually no change over time. In some countries, there is a striking contrast between high prevalence of FGC and low approval for the practice. This gap between practice and attitudes may provide opportunities for intervention, especially in Burkina Faso, CAR, Eritrea, and Kenya. Conversely, the high prevalence and persistent strong approval for FGC in other countries like Egypt, Mali, and Sudan may require different interventions.

Contents
Introduction
Prevalence and Attitudes Regarding FGC
Overview of Approaches to Abandon FGC
Recommended Actions to End FGC