logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2016
22m 58s

Why Can't Egypt Stop FGM?

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Some 92% of married Egyptian women aged between 15-49 have had their genitals cut. FGM is more common in Egypt than anywhere else in the world. These astonishing statistics are all the more surprising when you consider that Egypt banned the practise in 2008. So why is FGM so prevalent in Egypt? Four expert witnesses tell us about the challenge of turning a widely-followed tradition into a crime.

(Photo: A gynaecologist co-operating with the Coptic Center for Training and Development gives a lecture on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in a village close to Beni Sueif, south of Cairo. Credit: Getty Images)

Up next
Jun 16
Can Brussels crack the gender pay gap?
A new directive strives to narrow the 11% hourly wage gap between men and women in the EU.Around the world, the gender pay gap has been shrinking as women gain access to higher education and better employment opportunities. Though varied hours, industries and care responsibilitie ... Show More
23m 15s
Jun 9
Why does Ebola keep coming back?
In May 2026, the World Health Organization declared an Ebola outbreak in western Africa a public health emergency of international concern. Within days, hundreds of cases had been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo, raising fears that the virus could spread further acro ... Show More
24m 37s
Jun 2
Is Portugal’s drugs policy in need of reform?
In 2001, Portugal decriminalised the possession and use of all illicit drugs. It was a move designed to mitigate the country’s public health crisis, which at the time meant Portugal had one of the worst rates of overdose deaths in Europe, as well as the highest rate of HIV among ... Show More
23m 21s
Recommended Episodes
May 2023
Surviving Female Genital Mutilation with Shamsa Araweelo
Trigger warning: Severe physical and emotional trauma.    Shamsa Araweelo grew up in Somalia, where when she was only 6 years old, she was taken by family to be cut. Today, she opens up to Eileen about her experience suffering from female genital mutilation (FGM).    FGM refers t ... Show More
1 h
May 2022
Why is it so hard for single women to rent in Egypt?
Doormen hassling you, endless questioning and a ban on visitors.These are the challenges faced daily by single women renting in Egypt.And this is after they've managed to clinch a deal with an amenable landlord. Many refuse to let to single women, arguing it could damage their bu ... Show More
15m 21s
Aug 2022
La mort dans l'Égypte ancienne : une obsession ?
<p>Mes chers camarades, bien le bonjour !</p><p>« Les anciens Égyptiens étaient obsédés par la mort ». Je suis sûr que vous avez déjà lu ou entendu cette phrase. Et pourtant, c’est totalement faux ! Ou en tout cas très largement exagéré. Mais alors, que représentait la mort en Ég ... Show More
20m 22s
May 2024
Talk Like an Egyptian
The first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with the Jewish state was Egypt. Following the Yom Kippur War of 1973, came the Camp David Accords of 1978 which provided both countries with tangible benefits. While the peace has never been warm, it has held. But since October 7, Eg ... Show More
55m 47s
Jun 2024
13. Lament of an Egyptian Revolutionary with Aida Seif El-Dawla
Why aren't we seeing massive pro-Palest!ne demonstrations in Egypt, when we know an overwhelming majority of its people support the liberation of Palest!ne? Dr. Aida Seif El-Dawla, a retired psychiatrist and human rights defender conveys the sense of defeat and tragedy many progr ... Show More
36m 28s
Mar 2024
Can a land-for-cash deal save Egypt’s economy?
The Ras al-Hikma peninsula on the north coast of Egypt is going to become a new city. But it’s going to be built and managed by another country, the United Arab Emirates. In a deal signed earlier this year, Egypt gave the UAE the right to develop this 170 square kilometre area in ... Show More
20m 11s
Jun 2024
How do Hajj pilgrims cope with a heatwave in Saudi Arabia?
Hundreds of Muslim worshippers have reportedly died during Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. Most of the deaths have been because of heat-related illnesses. Saudi Arabia has been hit by sweltering temperatures this year.  What measures are in place to help travellers m ... Show More
32m 41s