LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – There is a growing global drive to eradicate female genital mutilation (FGM) in a generation. Ministers, U.N. officials and campaigners from around the world meet in Rome on Monday for a major conference to discuss how to accelerate efforts to end the practice. Here are some facts.
– An estimated 200 million girls and women worldwide have been subjected to FGM. In Africa, it is thought that 3 million girls are at risk every year.
– FGM is known to be prevalent in 27 African countries, Yemen, Iraqi Kurdistan and Indonesia. But there is growing evidence that it may exist in many more Asian and Middle Eastern countries than commonly thought. It is also found in industrialized countries among some immigrant populations.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-fgm-conference-factbox-idUSKBN15E0KH
