Female Genital Mutilation In Egypt - UNICEF DATA
Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt:Recent trends and projectionsFebruary 2020
A NOTE ON DATA USED IN THISPUBLICATIONThe following analysis primarilyfeatures data collected in Egypt’sHealth Issues Survey 2015. Whilethe prevalence of female genitalmutilation (FGM) may havechanged slightly in the interveningyears, there is no reason to believethat data collected today wouldyield dramatically different results.FGM is a practice that has affectedgirls and women for generations.In practising communities,FGM can carry a strong culturalsignificance, making behavioursand attitudes around it resistantto change. While Egypt isbeginning to see a reduction inFGM, population-level shifts in theprevalence will take time – andcontinued efforts – to becomeapparent.Data from other countries thathave seen declines in the practicereveal that progress tends tooccur incrementally. Thus, datafrom 2015 can still be considereda reasonably close estimationof the current situation. For anillustration of observed andprojected trends in FGM, seeFigure 14.02 Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt: Recent trends and projections
Female genital mutilation in theglobal development agendaFGM is a violation of human rights. Every girl and woman has the right to beprotected from this harmful practice, a manifestation of entrenched genderinequality with devastating consequences. FGM is now firmly on the globaldevelopment agenda, most prominently through its inclusion in SustainableDevelopment Goal (SDG) target 5.3, which aims to eliminate the practice by 2030.SDG 5TARGET 5.3INDICATOR 5.3.2Achieve genderequality andempower allwomen and girlsEliminate all harmful practices,such as child, early and forcedmarriage and female genitalmutilationProportion of girls and womenaged 15 to 49 years who haveundergone female genitalmutilationFemale Genital Mutilation in Egypt: Recent trends and projections 03
Key FactsAmong girls and women aged 15 to 49 years, nearly 9 in 10 have undergone FGM; in thevast majority of governorates, at least 7 in 10 girls and women have experienced the practiceThe prevalence of FGM is high across many population groups in Egypt, but the practiceis somewhat more common in rural areas, in less wealthy households andamong girls and women with less educationFGM is commonly performed by health personnel, and thepractice has become increasingly medicalized. Girls under 15years of age are four times more likely than womenaged 45 to 49 years to have been cut by a medical professionalThere is evidencethat FGM isbecoming lesscommon atthe national levelparticularly after 2000While progress is evidentthroughout much of thecountry, it is not even.In some governorates,the practice remainsnearly universalJust over half of Egyptiansthink FGM should continue, anda similar proportion believe thepractice is required by religionEgypt is not on track to reach the SDGtarget of eliminating FGM; compared to the rateof decline in the practice observedin the last 15 years, progress wouldneed to be about 15 times faster toreach elimination by 2030Notes: In this publication, unless otherwise noted, the latest data are from 2015. See note on inner cover regarding the recency of data. National data exclude North Sinai and South Sinai, as no recent data have beencollected on these governorates.04 Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt: Recent trends and projections
Current levels of female genital mutilation99LuxorQena98Aswan98Souhag98Beni Suef9796Menoufia93KalyubiaSharkia9291Kafr El-SheikhIsmailia90Red Sea90New Valley90Giza90MenyaEighty-sevenper cent of girlsand women aged15 to 49 years haveundergone FGM;levels are highthroughout mostof the kahlia81Cairo79Alexandria63Damietta61Port Said61Matroh40Egypt87020406080100u FIG.1 Percentage of girls and women aged 15 to 49 years who have undergone FGMFemale Genital Mutilation in Egypt: Recent trends and projections 05
The prevalence ofFGM is high acrossmany populationgroups in Egypt,but the practiceis somewhatmore common inrural areas, in lesswealthy householdsand among girlsand women withless education100989493939692878087777170604020Higher thansecondarySecondaryPrimaryNo educationRichestEducationFourthMiddleSecondWealth quintilePoorestUrbanResidenceRural0u FIG.2 Percentage of girls and women aged 15 to 49 years who have undergone FGM, by residence, wealth quintileand education06 Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt: Recent trends and projections
Across Egypt, 14 per cent of girls under age 15 years have undergone FGMLuxor52Aswan45Qena36Souhag36Information collected onFGM among girls under age15 reflects their current butnot final FGM status. Somegirls who have not been cutmay still be at risk once theyreach the customary age forcutting.35Red Sea25AssuitIsmailia1615Kalyubia15MenoufiaBeni Suef14New Valley14Gharbia14Therefore, the data onprevalence for girlsunder age 15 is anunderestimation of the trueextent of the afr El-Sheikh7Since age at cutting variesamong settings, the amountof underestimation alsovaries (see Figure 4). Thisshould be kept in mindwhen interpreting all FGMprevalence data for this agegroup.6Dakahlia5Fayoum4AlexandriaMatroh2Port Said2Damietta0Egypt14020406080100u FIG.3 Percentage of girls aged 6 months to 14 years who have undergone FGM, by governorateNotes: Data were collected from female respondents aged 15 to 49 years about their daughters aged 6 months to 14 years at the time of the survey. Girls’FGM status was reported by their mothers.Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt: Recent trends and projections 07
Circumstances around FGMAge at cutting, practitioners and medicalizationThe majority ofFGM occurs duringearly adolescence:7 in 10 girls werecut between ages10 to 14 yearsu FIG.4 Percentage distribution of adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 years who have undergone FGM, by age at cuttingAge at cutting:2Before 5 years5 to 9 years10 to 14 years24At or after 15 yearsDon’t know/missing7111Note: Figures may not add up to 100 per cent due to rounding.FGM in Egypt iscommonly practisedby medicalpersonnel: 6 in 10girls were cut bydoctors, and7 in 10 girls werecut by medicalpractitioners overallu FIG.5 Percentage distribution of adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 years who have undergone FGM, by type of practitionerPractitioner:DoctorNurse/other health provider59Note: Figures may not add up to 100 per cent due to rounding.08 Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt: Recent trends and projectionsDayaBarberGhagaria9Don’t know/missing3020.50.2
100788078(80)68576048424030FGM has becomeincreasinglymedicalized: Of thosewho underwentthe practice, 4 in 5girls under age 15experienced FGMat the hands of amedical professional,compared to fewerthan 1 in 5 womenaged 45 to 49 years2320176 months–4 years5–9 years10–14 years15–19 years20–24 years25–29 years30–34 years35–39 years40–44 years45–49 years0u FIG.6 Percentage of cut girls and women aged 6 months to 49 years who underwent FGM by a medical practitioner,by ageNotes: Values presented here are based on at least 25 unweighted cases. Those based on 25 to 49 unweighted cases are shown in parentheses. Medicalpractitioners include doctors, nurses and other health providers. Data were collected from female respondents aged 15 to 49 years about their daughters aged 6months to 14 years at the time of the survey. Girls’ FGM status was reported by their mothers. Some girls under age 15 who have not been cut may still be at riskonce they reach the customary age for cutting, which should be kept in mind when interpreting data for this age group (see box on page 7).Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt: Recent trends and projections 09
Opinions on FGMMore than half of girls and women as well as boysand men support the continuation of FGMThink FGM should continueThink FGM should stopAlmost half of Egyptians think FGMis required by religionSay it depends/are not sure100100914808038286060504640405459202000Girls and womenBoys and menu FIG.7 Percentage distribution of girls and women and boys andmen aged 15 to 49 years, by their attitudes about whether FGMshould continueNote: Figures may not add up to 100 per cent due to rounding.10 Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt: Recent trends and projectionsGirls and womenBoys and menu FIG.8 Percentage of girls and women and boys andmen aged 15 to 49 years who believe FGM is requiredby religion
Support for FGM is most common among girls and women in rural areas and the pooresthouseholds as well as those who are older and have less educationThink FGM should continueThink FGM should stopSay it depends/are not 73832280ResidenceRuralUrbanWealth quintilePoorestRichestEducationNo educationHigher thansecondaryAge45–49 years15–19 yearsu FIG.9 Percentage distribution of girls and women aged 15 to 49 years, by their attitudes about whether FGM should continue, by residence,wealth quintile, education and ageNote: Figures may not add up to 100 per cent due to rounding.Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt: Recent trends and projections 11
Generational trends in reducing FGMThere is evidence of a decline in the prevalence of FGM, particularly after 20001009795959389828070The prevalence of FGM is lowestamong the youngest age cohort,that is, adolescent girls aged 15to 19 years in 2015.60Within this age group, theprevalence is 67 per cent amongadolescent girls aged 15 to 17years and 74 per cent amongthose aged 18 to 19 years. Thisdifference is not 99019850u FIG.10 Percentage of adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 years who have undergone FGMNotes: This trend analysis is based on the prevalence of FGM across age cohorts, as measured in the Health Issues Survey 2015. See technical notes for details.12 Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt: Recent trends and projections
Rural Upper Egypt1009898999796Urban Upper EgyptRural Lower Egypt99969998969893849394938480877876686040Most regions ofEgypt have seena decline in FGM,with the strongestprogress in the urbangovernorates andurban Lower ontier governoratesUrban governoratesUrban Lower Egyptu FIG.11 Percentage of adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 years who have undergone FGM, by regionNotes: Values presented here are based on at least 25 unweighted cases. Those based on 25 to 49 unweighted cases are shown in parentheses.Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt: Recent trends and projections 13
While strong progress in reducing FGM has occurred in some governorates, the practice remains nearlyuniversal in othersLuxor100(100) (100) (100)Aswan100 100 (99)96(100) (100) (100) 97Qena979398Beni SuefSouhag(98) (100) (99) 100 999995(100) (100) (100) 100969695(100)(100) 98 9996888060402083(97) (98)90(82)9593(85)9287 9019852015(88) 90201091(78) 798020051985201520101990(96)200087(100)951995(100) (100) (100) 100200520001995199019859620152005(99) (98) /a0KalyubiaSharkiaAssuitFayoumCairou FIG.12 Percentage of adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 years who have undergone FGM in selected governoratesNotes: Governorates presented here include those with a high prevalence of FGM and/or receiving programmatic interventions. Values presented here are based on at least 25 unweighted cases. Those based on 25to 49 unweighted cases are shown in parentheses. Those with fewer than 25 unweighted cases are marked ‘n/a’ for ‘not available’.14 Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt: Recent trends and projections
Declines in FGM are most prominent among those who have not married10097959593(96)918991(86)80777565656040Data collected in Demographicand Health Surveys conductedin Egypt since the mid-1990shave been limited to evermarried women. Only twosurveys, in 2008 and 2015,represented all women,including those who hadnever been married. Analysisbased on previous surveysshows that levels of FGMhave been persistently high,and that among ever-marriedwomen, they remain high evenaccording to the latest datafrom 2015.There does appear to be both alower prevalence of FGM anda recent decline in the practiceamong women who have notmarried. This explains why theaggregate prevalence for allwomen (as shown in Figures10 to 12) is dropping despitethe consistently high levels ofthe practice among rried adolescent girls20151985199019952000200520102015Never-married adolescent girlsu FIG.13 Percentage of adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 years who have undergone FGM, by marital statusNotes: In the Health Issues Survey 2015, girls and women who answered ‘signed contract’ to the question about their marital status are consideredto be never-married. Values presented here are based on at least 25 unweighted cases. Those based on 25 to 49 unweighted cases are shown inparentheses. Those with fewer than 25 unweighted cases are marked ‘n/a’ for ‘not available’. In each marital status group, the difference between girlsaged 15 to 17 years and 18 to 19 years is not statistically significant, suggesting no additional decline within the youngest cohort.Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt: Recent trends and projections 15
Looking ahead towards eliminationIf the declineseen after 2000continues, theprevalence of FGMin Egypt woulddrop to 52 per centby 2030 and to36 per cent by 205010097Percentage of adolescentgirls aged 15 to 19 yearswho have undergone FGM80Percentage of adolescent girls aged 15 to 19years who are expected to undergo FGM if:706663605958Progressin th30 yeearscont pastinuesProgre47ss15 years in the pacontinu stes52If progress isaccelerated,this proportion canbe cut by half403936Progressis 252030203520402045u FIG.14 Observed and projected percentage of adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 years who have undergone FGMNote: See “How to read the projections” on page 19.16 Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt: Recent trends and projections2050
Without an acceleratedrate of reduction, itis possible that thenumber of adolescentgirls experiencingFGM could increaseby 2030 due topopulation growthu FIG.15 Observed and projected female population under age 2020202520302035204020452050u FIG.16 Observed and projected number of adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 years who have undergone FGM5Number of adolescent girls aged 15 to 19years who are expected to undergo FGM if:Millions432Progress in the past 30 years continuesProgress in the past 15 years continuesNumber of adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 yearswho have undergone FGMProgress is 0302035204020452050Note: See “How to read the projections” on page 19.Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt: Recent trends and projections 17
Egypt is not on track to reach the SDG target of eliminating FGM. Compared to the rate of decline inthe last 15 years, progress would need to be about 15 times faster to eliminate the practice by 2030Average annual rate of reduction:Observed in the past 30 years30Observed in the past 15 yearsRequired for elimination by 203029.628.3How to read the averageannual rate of es%0Upper EgyptUrbanRuralLower EgyptUrbanFrontiergovernoratesRuralu FIG.17 Average annual rate of reduction (per cent) in the percentage of adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 years whohave undergone FGM, observed and required for elimination, by region18 Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt: Recent trends and projectionsThe observed averageannual rates of reductionquantify the rate ofprogress in reducing theprevalence of FGM overeach period. A higher rateindicates faster progress.Required rates illustratewhat would be necessaryto eliminate the practiceby 2030 and achieveSDG target 5.3. In urbanUpper Egypt, for example,compared to the last 15years, progress wouldneed to be 14 times fasterto eliminate FGM by 2030(based on a 2.1 per centobserved annual rate ofreduction compared to a28.1 per cent required rate).
Technical notesData SourcesTo assess the prevalence of FGM, this analysis used SDG indicator 5.3.2 – theproportion of girls and women aged 15 to 49 years who have undergone femalegenital mutilation.The analysis in this publication is based on the Health Issues Survey 2015.Population data are from the United Nations Department of Economic andSocial Affairs, Population Division, World Population Prospects 2019, OnlineEdition, 2019.Confidence intervals are not shown in this publication. Caution is thereforewarranted in interpreting the results since apparent differences among groups maynot be significant. Key message titles for the charts were developed in light of theconfidence intervals for all values. Thus, in cases where the title indicates that thereis a difference among groups, it has been confirmed as statistically significant.Data on circumstances around FGM in Egypt are presented here as measuredamong adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 years. In Egypt, cutting mainly occurs amonggirls under age 15 years; therefore, the cohort aged 15 to 19 years is the one thathas most recently surpassed the customary age at cutting, allowing for the mostrecent assessment of circumstances around FGM without the risk of censoring.Data on types of FGM are not presented here as questions on type of cutting onlydifferentiated infibulation from non-infibulating forms.Trends in the prevalence of FGM (Figures 10 to 12) and the associated averageannual rates of reduction (Figure 17) were calculated using an age-cohort analysisof data from the Health Issues Survey 2015. The results were validated againstprevious surveys (Demographic and Health Surveys from 1995, 2000 and 2005, andthe 2008 and 2014 Health Issues Surveys).How to read the projectionsFigures 14 and 16 show how the scale of the practice of FGM has changed since1985, as well as various scenarios that could occur in the future. Figure 17 showsprogress in the observed rate of reduction and the rate that would be required tomeet elimination targets.The projection scenarios build on existing trends. They show expected values ifprogress from the past 30 years (in blue) or the past 15 years (in purple) was tocontinue. Progress appears to have accelerated over the past 15 years, making thisthe more ambitious of the two scenarios. A third scenario (in light blue) illustrateswhat could happen if the rate observed over the past 15 years was to double.The observed average annual rates of reduction quantify the rate of progress inreducing the prevalence of FGM over each period. A higher rate indicates fasterprogress. Required rates indicate what would be necessary to eliminate FGM by2030 and achieve SDG target 5.3. For statistical purposes, ‘elimination’ is defined asa prevalence of less than 1 per cent.AcknowledgementsThis data brief was prepared by the Data and Analytics Section of UNICEF(Claudia Cappa, Colleen Murray and Hyunju Park) with inputs from the EgyptCountry Office (Reem Elsherbini, Shantanu Gupta, Manar Soliman and SajiThomas).Suggested CitationUnited Nations Children’s Fund, Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt: Recenttrends and projections, UNICEF, New York, 2020.Photo CreditsCover: UNICEF/UNI42927/PirozziA social worker (centre) speaks about the dangers of FGM to a girl and hermother at their home in the village of Nazlet Ebeid in Minya Governorate inUpper Egypt.Page 2: UNICEF/UNI42924/PirozziA community educator speaks to a group of women about the dangers ofFGM at the UNICEF-supported Kabbary Youth Centre for working childrenin Alexandria. The centre offers community education and outreachprogrammes, educational activities, vocational training, and psychosocialsupport and medical care for working children.Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt: Recent trends and projections 19
For information on the data in this brochure:For information on FGM in Egypt:UNICEF Data and Analytics SectionDivision of Data, Analytics, Planning and Monitoring3 United Nations PlazaNew York, NY 10017, USAUNICEF EgyptIntersection of Rd. 87 & 14,Sarayat Al GharbeyahMaadi, Cairo, EgyptE-mail: data@unicef.orgWebsite: data.unicef.orgE-mail: infoegy@unicef.orgWebsite: unicef.org/egypt/
Female Genital Mutilation in gypt: ecent trends and projections 03 Female genital mutilation in the global development agenda FGM is a violation of human rights. Every girl and woman has the right to be protected from this harmful practice, a manifestation of entrenched gender inequality with devastating consequences. FGM is now firmly on the .
Ritual female genital mutilation: management of women during the reproductive years Introduction The term female genital mutilation (FGM), also called female genital cutting or female circumcision, includes all procedures . modifications were incorporated in order to avoid ambiguities
Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is an umbrella term for any procedure of modification, partial or total removal or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons [1]. In 1990 the Inter-African Com-mittee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children adopted the term 'female genital mutilation'.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) also known as Female Genital Cutting (FGC) is a severe violation of girl‟s and women‟s human rights. Waris Dirie –Desert Flower –“Female Mutilation has no cultural, no traditional and no religious aspect. It is a crime which seeks justice.” FGM is p
20 ‘‘(41) FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION.—The 21 terms ‘female genital mutilation’, ‘female genital 22 cutting’, ‘FGM/C’, or ‘female circumcision’ mean the 23 intentional removal or infibulation (or both) of either 24 the whole or part of the external female genitalia for 25 non-medical reasons. External female
Female genital mutilation is a violation of human rights 8 Female genital mutilation has harmful consequences 11 . modifications to accommodate concerns and shortcomings, while maintaining the .
Promoting genital autonomy by exploring commonalities between male, female, intersex, and cosmetic female genital cutting J. Steven Svoboda*1 Attorneys for the Rights of the Child, Berkeley, CA, USA All forms of genital cutting – female genital cutting (FGC), intersex genital cutting,
Female Genital Surgeries in Africa By THE PuBlIC POlICy ADVISORy NETwORK ON FEMAlE GENITAl SuRGERIES IN AFRICA western media coverage of female genital modifications in Africa has been hyperbolic and one-sided, presenting them uniformly as mutilation and ignoring the cultural complexities that underlie these practices.
that biology can explain why some people are gay and others are not. Among books that make this argument, Balthazart’s is distinct for its focus on laboratory studies of animal sexuality. Brace yourself for descriptions of studies that analogize your most intimate moments with your partner to the choices made by caged rats and mice in the laboratory (and the occasional reference to a sheep .
