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Numbers of women circumcised in Africa : the production of a total

YODER, P Stanley
KHAN, Shane
March 2008

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This paper gives the results of a study to find an estimated figure for the number of women in Africa who have undergone circumcision or female genital cutting (FGC). The study is based on women over the age of 15, although an appendix provides information about girls aged 10-14. A reliable figure helps in assessing the number of women at risk for female genital cutting and its complications in order to raise public awareness of the size and scope of the practice in some countries in Africa. Accurate information about the size and scope of this practice makes it possible to better estimate the need for specialised health care for women and to mobilise resources for advocacy against FGC

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