Egypt tightens ban on female genital mutilation after 12 year old girl dies

doi:10.1136/bmj.39266.425752.DB

BMJ 2007;335:15 (7 July), doi:10.1136/bmj.39266.425752.DB

News

Egypt tightens ban on female genital mutilation after 12 year old girl dies

Mimet Meleigy

Cairo

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Egypt has announced that it is imposing a complete ban on femalegenital mutilation. The ban was imposed last week by the Ministryof Health after a public outcry over the death of a 12 yearold girl, Budour Ahmad Shaker, who died from an overdose ofanaesthetic while being circumcised.

After the much publicised death of the girl, the Egyptian Centerfor Women's Rights appealed to the government for a law thatwould criminalise the practice and that would "punish doctorswho commit this crime, and close clinics and hospital that continueto practise it." The doctor who had carried out the circumcisionon the girl has been arrested, and the clinic where it tookplace has been closed down.

In Egypt 75% of female genital mutilation is carried out bydoctors and nurses, and 25% are carried out by birth attendants,or "dayas," most of whom are poorly . . . [Full text of this article]

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