Rights coalition takes on female genital mutilation in Egypt
Amid high rates of female genital mutilation in Egypt, women's and human rights organizations have come together in a campaign to educate the public and enforce laws against the practice.
CAIRO — Women and human rights organizations in Egypt marked the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Feb. 6 by announcing an “Anti-FGM Action Plan” to create new policies and mechanisms to reduce these practices against women and young girls in Egypt.
According to the most recent gender-based violence survey conducted by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics in 2015, 9 out of 10 women in Egypt have undergone FGM. In 2014, that figure was about 92% of married women aged between 15 and 49, with 78.4% of the operations performed by doctors and nurses.
![- PHOTO TAKEN 13JUN06 -
A counsellor holds up cards used to educate women about female genital mutilation (FGM) in Minia June 13, 2006. The practice of FGM dates back over two thousand years in Egypt and is widely practiced in all levels of society for [Muslims and Christians] alike. [Many organizations like UNICEF] have funded programs to help educate people about the risks and dangers of FGM in order to change people's opinions on this procedure which is seen by many as a necessary social norm. Picture ta](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2016/09/RTXOQUZ.jpg/RTXOQUZ.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=twIKQu17)
