Female Circumcision Drops By Half in Niger

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