New statistics released by Cameroon’s Ministry of Women Empowerment and the Family (MINPROFF) highlight the Far North Region as the area with the highest prevalence of female genital mutilation in the country.
The revelation comes on the occasion of the 17th edition of the International Female Genital Mutilation Day, marked under the theme “Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation.”
According to the data, 0.2 percent of girls in the Adamawa Region, 1.6 percent in the East Region, 2.2 percent in the North, 2.4 percent in the South West, and 5.4 percent in the Far North Region of Cameroon practice female genital mutilation. Nationally, the overall prevalence stands at 1.4 percent.
In 2019, the figures indicated that 4 percent of girls were affected by this practice, marking a significant decline to 1.4 percent according to the latest MINPROFF data.
Addressing the issue in Yaoundé on February 6, 2024, Minister of Women Empowerment and the Family, Marie Thérèse Abéna Ondoa, characterized female genital mutilation as “a form of gender-based violence that also promotes underpopulation.”
During the commemorative event, Minister Ondoa reiterated the government’s commitment to eliminating this practice through a combination of awareness campaigns and sanctions against those responsible for these mutilations.
Female genital mutilation, also known as female circumcision, involves the partial or complete removal of external female genitalia for non-medical reasons.
In the Far North Region of Cameroon, the practice is deeply rooted in certain communities, driven by cultural beliefs and traditions. Despite being illegal in Cameroon since 2016, female genital mutilation persists due to social pressures, perceptions of femininity, and misconceptions about health and hygiene.
This harmful practice poses severe physical and psychological health risks for women and girls, including pain, infections, childbirth complications, and long-term trauma.
