CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt has approved a law that will increase jail terms for those who perform female circumcisions, raising the maximum sentence to seven years from two, according to the state’s official gazette on Wednesday. Genital cutting of girls, often referred to as female genital mutilation (FGM) or circumcision, is banned in Egypt but the practice remains common as a rite of passage and is often viewed as a way to protect their chastity. More than nine in 10 women and girls aged 15 to 49 in Egypt have undergone FGM, but the number has declined in recent years, according to data collected by the United Nations. Female genital cutting is performed on both Muslim and Christian girls in Egypt and Sudan, but is rare elsewhere in the Arab world.

Topics:  cairo reuters    genital   united   nations   female   muslim   christian   sudan   arab   eritrea   ethiopia   somalia   egypt&rsquo    reporting   abdelaty   eric   knecht   andrew roche     this   huffington post   egypt    egypt   fgm   ali   jail terms   girls   law   years   cutting   common   sentences   
BING NEWS:
  • Egypt increases fee of issuing Egyptian passport
    Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Thursday ratified Law #16 of 2024 amending some provisions of Law #97 of 1959 regarding passports, which was approved by the House of Representatives. The ...
    03/13/2024 - 1:01 pm | View Link
  • More

 

Welcome to Wopular!

Welcome to Wopular

Wopular is an online newspaper rack, giving you a summary view of the top headlines from the top news sites.

Senh Duong (Founder)
Wopular, MWB, RottenTomatoes

Subscribe to Wopular's RSS Fan Wopular on Facebook Follow Wopular on Twitter Follow Wopular on Google Plus

MoviesWithButter : Our Sister Site

More News