Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) on the Rise in Some States in Nigeria:  What can be done to halt it?

Female genital mutilation (FGM), traditionally known as female circumcision, refers to all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, a practice that has no health benefits (WHO, 2022). With a total of 19.9 million women, Nigeria is listed as having the world’s 3rd highest number of females who have undergone FGM (UNICEF, 2022). Using data from the Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS, 2018) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS, 2021), this policy brief examines the patterns and causes of the problem in Nigeria and the pathway to ending the practice.

This Policy Brief draws from a NISER Study on Patterns, Determinants and Persistence of Female Genital Mutilation in Nigeria.