Via the Kaiser Daily Women’s Health Policy Report:
The Eritrean government in a proclamation published on Wednesday said it has banned the practice of female genital cutting in the country, IRIN News reports (IRIN News, 4/5). Genital cutting, a practice sometimes referred to as female circumcision or female genital mutilation, involves a partial or full removal of the labia, clitoris or both. The World Health Organization estimates that 100 million to 140 million women worldwide are circumcised (Kaiser Daily Women’s Health Policy Report, 3/23). According to IRIN News, the practice has been banned in at least 16 African countries. The Eritrean government proclamation says it is illegal for anyone to subject girls or women to genital cutting, provide tools to perform the procedure or fail to inform authorities about intended plans to subject anyone to the procedure (IRIN News, 4/5). According to a government statement, anyone who requests, takes part in or promotes the practice will face a fine of several hundred dollars or up to 10 years in jail.
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