8.6.2020

Female genital mutilation is a global problem and one which requires global action to end it. Research on the existence and prevalence of the practice is critical to the efforts to eradicate the practice. Laws criminalizing FGM provide a cornerstone for national efforts to end the practice. We’ve rounded up significant developments in laws and available data to end FGM over the last few months.

New Research on Female Genital Mutilation in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Earlier, there was only a single study on the existence of FGM in the UAE – a small survey of 100 Emirati women from 2011, which demonstrated that 34% of the women surveyed had undergone FGM. Now, a new research study that surveyed 831 women in Abu Dhabi city has found an FGM prevalence rate of 41.4% amongst the study participants. The study found that the most common type of FGM performed in the UAE was Type 1 (partial or total removal of the clitoris and/or the clitoral hood). Significantly, around 72% of the respondents were against the practice of FGM, which bodes well for the future!

Read full article on Equality Now