UNICEF says not fewer than 200m girls, women have undergone FGM

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) says no fewer than 200 million girls and women have undergone Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in 30 countries.

This is contained in new statistical report published ahead of the United Nations’ International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation.

The International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation is marked annually on Feb. 6

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said that Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) included procedures that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.

According to the report, half of the girls and women who have been cut live in Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia.

The data said that girls who were below 14 years accounted for 44 million of those who have been mutilated.

It said that the highest prevalence of FGM among this age group was in the Gambia with a 56 per cent rate.

The statement noted that the countries with the highest prevalence among girls and women aged 15 to 49 were Somalia at 98 per cent, Guinea 97 per cent and Djibouti 93 per cent.

The global figure in the FGM statistical report included nearly 70 million more girls and women than estimated in 2014.