In the previous article, we looked at what female genital mutilation is, why it is practiced and geographical regions where it is practiced. Today’s article will present some figures about FGM in some African countries where it is practiced. FGM is practiced in Asia and other places but these will not be discussed in this article.

The African Union adopted a protocol in 2003 called the In Maputo Protocol with the aim of promoting women’s rights including an end to female genital mutilation and was approved by 15 member states. Even though some countries have officially ratified the Maputo Protocol, FGM is still in practice in several of these countries.

Once a social norm is established, it can be hard for individuals to decide against it. In fact in Senegal for instance, it is known that some parents fear their daughters may be socially marginalized or face reduced marriage prospects if they are denied circumcision. The consequence of this phenomenon is that even though FGM has been illegal since 1999, girls are still subjected to the procedure against their will.

The United States State Department has identified the countries where female genital mutilation is prevalent. Similar information is available from the United Nations WHO sources. Below are the countries in which FGM has been document as a traditional practice:

Additional Highlight

Burkina Faso

A law prohibiting FGC was enacted in 1996 and went into effect in February 1997. The Country also ratified the Maputo Protocol in 2006.

Central African Republic

In 1996, the President issued an Ordinance prohibiting FGC throughout the country. A violation of the law is punishable by a fine of approximately US$8–160. No arrests are known to have been made under the so far.

Egypt

Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population has banned all forms of female genital cutting since 2007.The ministry’s order declared it is ‘prohibited for any doctors, nurses, or any other person to carry out any cut of, flattening or modification of any natural part of the female reproductive system.  However, it remains a culturally accepted practice, and a 2005 study found that over 95% of Egyptian women have undergone some form of FGC. (Egypt death sparks debate on female circumcision”. Reuters. 2007-08-20. http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL30168862. Retrieved 2009-05-22)

Ghana

Ghana ratified the Maputo Protocol in 2007. Even before this, in 1989 President Rawlings issued a formal declaration against FGC. Article 39 of Ghana’s Constitution also provides in part that traditional practices that are injurious to a person’s health and well being are abolished.

Nigeria

Nigeria ratified the Maputo Protocol in 2005 but there is no federal law banning the practice of FGC in Nigeria.

The United Nations and several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are intensifying the global campaign to eradicate female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). As a result of these efforts over the past years, about 6,000 communities have already abandoned the practice of FGM in countries such as Ethiopia, Egypt, Kenya, Senegal, Burkina Faso, the Gambia, Guinea and Somalia.

The campaign to eliminate FGM is a delicate one: it does not work by condemning the practice since that will eventually alienate the women who have gone through the procedure. Rather, a successful approach is the one that embraces the entire community – chiefs, religious leaders, and the local government in a mutually respectful conversation focusing on health consequences of the procedure and emphasizing the human right issue of the tradition.

Other resources: Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) or Female Genital Cutting (FGC): Individual Country Reports”. US State Department. Archived from the original on 2008-01-10. http://web.archive.org/web/20080110005001/http://www.state.gov/g/wi/rls/rep/crfgm/. Retrieved 2008-01-11. (Web archive)