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Where is FGM practiced the most?

Where is FGM practiced the most?

Where is FGM practiced? FGM is practiced in 31 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. It’s most prevalent in Djibouti, Egypt, Guinea, and Mali, where 90% or more of women aged 15 to 49 have been subjected to FGM.

What is the origin of FGM?

Some researchers have traced the practice to Egypt in the fifth-century BC and argue that the geographical distribution of FGM suggests that it originated on the west coast of the Red Sea. Egyptian mummies show women infibulated and this is supported by a Greek papyrus in the British Museum dated 163 BC.

How old is the practice of FGM?

The history of FGM is not well known but the practice dated back at least 2000 years. It is not known when or where the tradition of Female Genital Mutilation originated from. It was believed that it was practised in ancient Egypt as a sign of distinction amongst the aristocracy.

How often is FGM carried out in the world?

FGM is mostly carried out on young girls sometime between infancy and adolescence, and occasionally on adult women. More than 3 million girls are estimated to be at risk for FGM annually. More than 200 million girls and women alive today have been subjected to the practice , according to data from 30 countries where population data exist. 1.

How does FGM affect the health of women?

FGM has no health benefits, and it harms girls and women in many ways. It involves removing and damaging healthy and normal female genital tissue, and interferes with the natural functions of girls’ and women’s bodies.

How many girls did World Vision train to prevent FGM?

Five hundred boys and girls took part in training to prevent female genital mutilation. (©2016 World Vision/photo by Jon Warren)

Who are the health care providers who perform FGM?

The practice is mostly carried out by traditional circumcisers, who often play other central roles in communities, such as attending childbirths. In many settings, health care providers perform FGM due to the belief that the procedure is safer when medicalized 1. WHO strongly urges health care providers not to perform FGM.