Interventions to Reduce the Prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in African Countries

A first systematic review of Female Genital Mutilation/ Cutting (FGM/C), a traditional practice that involves partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.
Authors Rigmor C. Berg and Eva Denison aimed to review the empirical research on the effectiveness of interventions to reduce the prevalence of FGM/C in African countries, and the empirical research on contextual factors that may help explain the effectiveness, or lack thereof, of such interventions. The findings show that much work remains to be conducted regarding the evaluation of FGM/C abandonment efforts. There is a need to conduct methodologically rigorous intervention evaluations. Such studies should address the local communities’ enforcement systems that support FGM/C and be based on a sound theory of behaviour change.