The INFO Project Blog

Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/FGC) threatens the sexual and reproductive health of millions of girls in parts of Africa, Asia and some Arab States. Worldwide, about 130 million girls and young women have experienced FGM/FGC, and an additional 2 million are at risk each year.

In Egypt, there has been an increase in media coverage of this issue since 12-year-old Bedur Ahmed Shaker died in June as a result of the practice. The country’s First Lady, the Grand Mufti, the Head of the Coptic Church, and the Health Minister all made public statements condemning the practice.

On Sunday, the Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that many in Egypt believe its ban on the practice needs to be translated into law. This is expected to be a tough debate in Parliament’s next session next month. Official statistics show that 97% of Egyptian women between the ages of 15 and 49 have undergone FGM.

Throughout the article, a number of women share their stories of how FGM affects them and how they deal with the consequences. The article ends with a Coptic nun speaking with a group of women trying to address their concerns and fears. In response to a mother’s question about a potential husband rejecting her daughter because she has not been circumcised and as a result her sexual organs are “too big,” the nun responded, “Do you take your daughter to the doctor to know if her nose or eyes are too big or small? So why would you do it for that part of the body.” The nun said that there has been progress because just ten years ago it was taboo event to say “female circumcision.”

However, many activists argue that not enough has been accomplished despite more than 25 years of efforts to curtail its practice. Please share your thoughts with us on this issue. 

For more information about FGM/C, please visit www.endvaw.org and/or OneSource’s records on FGM/C 

Posted by Lisa Basalla, Program Specialist