Editing Female genital mutilation (section)

===Prevalence===
{{Further|Prevalence of female genital mutilation}}
{{multiple image
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 | header = Downward trend
 | image1 = FGM prevalence 15–49 (2016).jpg
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 | caption1 = Percentage of 15–49 group who have undergone FGM in 29 countries for which figures were available in 2016<ref name=UNICEF2016/>
 | image2 = FGM prevalence 0–14 (2016).jpg
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 | caption2 = Percentage of 0–14 group who have undergone FGM in 21 countries for which figures were available in 2016<ref name=UNICEF2016/>
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FGM is mostly found in what [[Gerry Mackie]] called an "intriguingly contiguous" zone in Africa—east to west from Somalia to Senegal, and north to south from Egypt to Tanzania.<ref>[[#MackieLeJeune2008|Mackie and LeJeune (UNICEF) 2008]], 5.</ref> Nationally representative figures are available for 27 countries in Africa, as well as Indonesia, Iraqi Kurdistan and Yemen. Over 200 million women and girls are thought to be living with FGM in those 30 countries.<ref name=UNICEF2023/><ref name=UNICEF2016/><ref name=UNICEFIndonesia2016>[[#UNICEFIndonesia2016|UNICEF Indonesia]], February 2016.</ref>

The highest concentrations among the 15–49 age group are in Somalia (98 percent), Guinea (97 percent), Djibouti (93 percent), Egypt (91 percent), and Sierra Leone (90 percent).<ref name=UNICEF2014pp89-90>[[#UNICEF2014|UNICEF 2014]], 89–90.</ref> As of 2013, 27.2 million women had undergone FGM in Egypt, 23.8 million in Ethiopia, and 19.9 million in Nigeria.<ref>[[#UNICEF2013|UNICEF 2013]], 2.</ref> There is a high concentration in Indonesia, where according to UNICEF Type I (clitoridectomy) and Type IV (symbolic nicking) are practised; the [[Ministry of Health (Indonesia)|Indonesian Ministry of Health]] and [[Indonesian Ulema Council]] both say the clitoris should not be cut. The prevalence rate for the 0–11 group in Indonesia is 49 percent (13.4 million).<ref name=UNICEFIndonesia2016/>{{rp|2}} Smaller studies or anecdotal reports suggest that various types of FGM are also practised in various circumstances in [[Colombia]], [[Jordan]], [[Oman]], [[Palestine]],<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2010/06/16/qa-female-genital-mutilation#:~:text=FGM%20is%20also%20believed%20to,by%20Falasha%20Jews%20in%20Ethiopia.|title=Q&A on what Female Genital Mutilation is|date=16 June 2010 |access-date=15 August 2024}}</ref> [[Saudi Arabia]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Milaat |first1=Waleed Abdullah |last2=Ibrahim |first2=Nahla Khamis |last3=Albar |first3=Hussain Mohammed |date=2018-03-01 |title=Reproductive health profile and circumcision of females in the Hali semi-urban region, Saudi Arabia: A community-based cross-sectional survey |journal=Annals of Saudi Medicine |language=en |volume=38 |issue=2 |pages=81–89 |doi=10.5144/0256-4947.2018.81 |issn=0256-4947 |pmc=6074365 |pmid=29620540}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Rouzi |first1=Abdulrahim A |last2=Berg |first2=Rigmor C |last3=Alamoudi |first3=Rana |last4=Alzaban |first4=Faten |last5=Sehlo |first5=Mohammad |date=2019-06-01 |title=Survey on female genital mutilation/cutting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia |journal=BMJ Open |volume=9 |issue=5 |pages=e024684 |doi=10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024684 |issn=2044-6055 |pmc=6549616 |pmid=31154295}}</ref> [[Malaysia]],<ref name="UNICEF 2013, 23">[[#UNICEF2013|UNICEF 2013]], 23.</ref> the [[United Arab Emirates]],<ref name=UNICEF2016/> [[India]],<ref>{{cite web|title='I was crying with unbearable pain': study reveals extent of FGM in India |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/mar/06/study-reveals-fgm-india-female-genital-mutilation |last=Cantera |first=Angel L Martínez |date=6 March 2018 |work=The Guardian |access-date=9 November 2018}}</ref> and among [[Kurds|Kurdish]] communities in [[Iran]]<ref name="auto1"/> but there are no representative data on the prevalence in these countries.<ref name=UNICEF2016/> {{As of|2023}}, UNICEF reported that "The highest levels of support for FGM can be found in Mali, Sierra Leone, Guinea, the Gambia, Somalia, and Egypt, where more than half of the female population thinks the practice should continue".<ref name=UNICEF2023/>

Prevalence figures for the 15–19 age group and younger show a downward trend.{{efn|UNICEF 2013: "The percentage of girls and women of reproductive age (15 to 49) who have experienced any form of FGM/C is the first indicator used to show how widespread the practice is in a particular country&nbsp;... A second indicator of national prevalence measures the extent of cutting among daughters aged 0 to 14, as reported by their mothers. Prevalence data for girls reflect their current&nbsp;– not final&nbsp;– FGM/C status, since many of them may not have reached the customary age for cutting at the time of the survey. They are reported as being uncut but are still at risk of undergoing the procedure. Statistics for girls under age 15 therefore need to be interpreted with a high degree of caution&nbsp;..."<ref name="UNICEF 2013, 23"/>
{{pb}} An additional complication in judging prevalence among girls is that, in countries running campaigns against FGM, women might not report that their daughters have been cut.<ref>[[#UNICEF2013|UNICEF 2013]], 25, 100; {{harvnb|Yoder|Wang|Johansen|2013|loc=196}}.</ref>}} For example, Burkina Faso fell from 89 percent (1980) to 58 percent (2010); Egypt from 97 percent (1985) to 70 percent (2015); and Kenya from 41 percent (1984) to 11 percent (2014).<ref>[[#UNICEF2016|UNICEF 2016]], 1.</ref> Beginning in 2010, household surveys asked women about the FGM status of all their living daughters.<ref>{{harvnb|Yoder|Wang|Johansen|2013|loc=194}}; [[#UNICEF2013|UNICEF 2013]], 25.</ref> The highest concentrations among girls aged 0–14 were in Gambia (56 percent), Mauritania (54 percent), Indonesia (49 percent for 0–11) and Guinea (46 percent).<ref name=UNICEF2016/> The figures suggest that a girl was one third less likely in 2014 to undergo FGM than she was 30 years ago.<ref>[[#UNICEF2014|UNICEF 2014]], 2.</ref> According to a 2018 study published in ''BMJ Global Health'', the prevalence within the 0–14 year old group fell in East Africa from 71.4 percent in 1995 to 8 percent in 2016; in North Africa from 57.7 percent in 1990 to 14.1 percent in 2015; and in West Africa from 73.6 percent in 1996 to 25.4 percent in 2017.<ref>{{harvnb|Kandala|Ezejimofor|Uthman|Komba|2018}}; {{cite news |last1=Ratcliffe |first1=Rebecca |title=FGM rates in east Africa drop from 71% to 8% in 20 years, study shows |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/nov/07/fgm-rates-in-east-africa-drop-20-years-study-shows |work=The Guardian |date=7 November 2018 |access-date=7 November 2018 |archive-date=15 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815062044/https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/nov/07/fgm-rates-in-east-africa-drop-20-years-study-shows |url-status=live }}</ref> If the current rate of decline continues, the number of girls cut will nevertheless continue to rise because of population growth, according to UNICEF in 2014; they estimate that the figure will increase from 3.6 million a year in 2013 to 4.1 million in 2050.{{efn|UNICEF 2014: "If there is no reduction in the practice between now and 2050, the number of girls cut each year will grow from 3.6 million in 2013 to 6.6 million in 2050. But if the rate of progress achieved over the last 30 years is maintained, the number of girls affected annually will go from 3.6 million today to 4.1 million in 2050.{{pb}}"In either scenario, the total number of girls and women cut will continue to increase due to population growth. If nothing is done, the number of girls and women affected will grow from 133 million today to 325 million in 2050. However, if the progress made so far is sustained, the number will grow from 133 million to 196 million in 2050, and almost 130 million girls will be spared this grave assault to their human rights."<ref>[[#UNICEF2014|UNICEF 2014]], 3.</ref>}}