Saturday was the UN-sponsored International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation. In Egypt, about 1,000 girls took part in a protest in Minya province calling on the government to implement its law against the practice.

According to statistics cited by al-Masry al-Youm newspaper, female circumcision is still very widespread in Egypt, but shows signs of declining:

The prevalence of FGM among women aged 15 to 49, who are or have ever been married, is 91%. However, rates appear to be declining among younger women, with approximately three-quarters of girls aged 15-17 having been circumcised. 

These findings are supported by a recent study conducted by the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population among a sample of primary, preparatory, and secondary female school students. The study found 50% of students surveyed to be victims ... while in certain governorates, especially in Upper Egypt, the number was as high as 70%.

Posted by Brian Whitaker, 8 February 2010.