Female Circumcision Drops By Half in Niger

The prevalence rate of female circumcision among women aged between 15 and 49 years has dropped by half (from 5% in 1998 to 2.2% in 2006), within a decade in Niger, according to UNICEF statistics released here Wednesday.

According to UNICEF, the practice is widely carried out among the Gourmantche and Peulh ethnic groups, which have 65.9% and 12.8% respectively of their women circumcised.

Female circumcision involves full or partial removal of a woman’s external genitalia.

Source: Panapress – 6 February 2008