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Concept information

social science subjects > sociology > crime and deviance > female genital mutilation

Preferred term

female genital mutilation  

Definition(s)

  • Female genital mutilation (FGM) is the name commonly used for an ensemble of ritual practices affecting the sexual organs of girls ranging in ages from a few weeks old to puberty. FGM is practiced in twenty-eight countries of sub-Saharan Africa: its incidence varies widely, from 98 percent of women in Somalia and Egypt, to 50 percent in Benin and Kenya, and 5 percent in Congo and Uganda, according to the Female Genital Cutting Education and Networking Project.Though commonly used, the label FGM is nevertheless disputed because it implies a negative evaluation of the practice. [Source: Encyclopedia of Law & Society: American and Global Perspectives; Female Genital Mutilation]

Belongs to group

URI

http://data.loterre.fr/ark:/67375/N9J-CMRM8CND-V

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