Laws banning female genital mutation in Egypt have caused a dramatic drop of female circumcision rates, with the percentage dropping from 100% to 52%, mostly in rural areas. According to daily Al Gomhuria newspaper, the apparent drop comes thanks to the widespread awareness campaigns by non-governmental organizations and civil societies in prohibiting this phenomenon, Health and Population Minister Hatem El Gabaly said. The minister noted that 60% of female genital mutation cases take place in rural areas, while the rest occur in urban areas. According to the most recent study, conducted in 2005 out of 38,000 people, 49% of FGM cases are performed in private clinics, 30% are done by 'daya' (a woman in rural areas know for helping women give birth to their babies), 10% by nurses, and the other 10% by barbers. Female genital mutation is mostly done to girls at the age of 10 to 13, and 65% of circumcised girls are born to illiterate mothers. Last summer a 12-year old girl, Budour Ahmad Shaker, died from an overdose of anesthetic at a private clinic in Minya, a province in Upper Egypt, an incident that triggered many activists to work on banning this issue.
