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Last update: Jul 2008

Methodology and data sources

The analysis presented in these pages is mainly based on household survey data from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS). The respondents are women aged 15-49, except in Egypt, northern Sudan and Yemen, where the sample of respondents includes only women who have been married. As of 2007, the FGM/C modules have been implemented in 28 countries (25 in Sub-Saharan Africa plus Egypt, northern Sudan and Yemen). Some countries have implemented the module more than once.

 

The surveys focus on two types of prevalence indicators. The first addresses FGM/C prevalence levels among women and represents the proportion of women aged 15-49 who have undergone FGM/C. The second type of indicator measures the status of daughters and calculates the proportion of women aged 15-49 with at least one daughter who has undergone genital mutilation or cutting. Together, DHS and MICS allow a comprehensive picture to be constructed of the current global prevalence rates among women and daughters. To date, household survey data on FGC have been collected in:

 

Standard modules

Both the MICS and DHS surveys have standardized modules for female genital cutting:

MICS: [English] [French]
DHS:  [English] [French]

 

 

  1. Benin (DHS 2001)
  2. Burkina Faso (DHS 1998-99, DHS 2003, MICS 2005-06)
  3. Cameroon (DHS 2004)
  4. Central African Republic (DHS 1994-95, MICS 2000, MICS 2005-06)
  5. Chad (MICS 2000, DHS 2004)
  6. Côte d'Ivoire (DHS 1994, DHS 1998-99, MICS 2005-06)
  7. Djibouti (MICS 2005-06)
  8. Egypt (DHS 1995, DHS 2000, DHS 2003, DHS 2005)
  9. Eritrea (DHS 1995, DHS 2002)
  10. Ethiopia (DHS 2000, DHS 2005)
  11. Gambia (MICS 2005-06)
  12. Ghana (DHS 2003, MICS 2005-06 )
  13. Guinea (DHS 1999, DHS 2005)
  14. Guinea Bissau (MICS 2005-06)
  15. Kenya (DHS 1998, DHS 2003)
  16. Liberia (DHS 2006)
  17. Mali (DHS 1995-96, DHS 2001)
  18. Mauritania (DHS 2000-01)
  19. Niger (DHS 1998 DHS 2006)
  20. Nigeria (DHS 1999, DHS 2003)
  21. Sierra Leone (MICS 2005-06)
  22. Somalia (MICS 2005-06)
  23. Senegal (DHS 2005)
  24. Sudan (DHS 1989-90, MICS 2000, MICS 2005-06)
  25. Tanzania (DHS 1996, DHS 2004-05)
  26. Togo (MICS 2005-06)
  27. Uganda (DHS 2006)
  28. Yemen (DHS 1997)
  29. Zambia (Zambia Sexual Behaviors Survey 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005)