UNICEF Data and Analytics

Female genital mutilation (FGM) has proved remarkably tenacious, despite efforts to eliminate it. In Mali, Senegal and Guinea Bissau for example, the practice remains as common today as it was decades ago. 

Understanding the key drivers of change both in attitudes and behaviours is key to elimination. Education is one such driver – it provides opportunities for girls to take on social roles that are not dependent on FGM for acceptance and shows that the practice isn’t commonplace for everyone. Girls and women who are educated are more likely to be aware of the dangers of FGM and to question its persistence.

On the occasion of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM, UNICEF is releasing four data publications that showcase the latest trends and offer insights on the power of education to end this harmful practice.

Access the publications:

Some key facts include: 

• Girls and women with a primary education are 30 per cent more likely to oppose FGM than those without education. This rises to 70 per cent among girls and women with at least secondary education.

• Girls whose mothers have a primary education are 40 per cent less likely to be cut than those whose mothers have no education.

• In many countries, girls are increasingly being cut at younger ages, meaning that the window of opportunity to intervene is closing. In Gambia and Nigeria, for example, the average age at cutting has dropped by two full years, and in Kenya it has dropped by over three years.