The regions with the highest prevalence are in the east: Gabú (96.3%) and Bafatá (86.8%)
FGM is usually practised on girls aged 4 to 14, but also on babies and women nearing marriage or giving birth
‘Flesh removed’ is the type of FGM practised, almost universally
Almost all FGM is carried out by traditional practitioners
1,932,524 (as at 23 June 2017), with a % growth rate 1.88% (2016 est.)
60 deaths per 1,000 live births (2015)
549 deaths per 100,000 live births (2015)
59.9% of the total population aged 15 and over can read/write
The regions in Guinea-Bissau with the highest FGM prevalence among women aged 15-49 are in the east: Gabú (96.3%) and Bafatá (86.8%). There is a significant difference between these regions and the rest of Guinea-Bissau, as the department with the next-highest prevalence is Tombali, at 53.2%. The region with the lowest prevalence is Cacheu, at 16%. Women aged 15-49 who live in rural areas are more likely to undergo FGM (50.1%) than those who live in urban areas (39.8%).
95% of Muslim women aged 15-49 have undergone FGM. It is much less prevalent among women of other religions in Guinea-Bissau: no religious affiliation (8%); ‘other’ Christians and other religions (7%), Roman Catholics (6%) and Animists (5%).
Between 2006 and 2014, the overall prevalence for women aged 15-49 stayed roughly constant (44.5% in 2006 and 44.9% in 2014). In 2006, 27.9% of women aged 15-49 who had heard of FGM stated that they believed the practice of FGM should continue, while in 2014, that figure had dropped to 12.8%, while 81.4% believed it should be stopped.
FGM Legislation in Guinea Bissau
See Guinea Bissau: The Law and FGM for more detail.
Research and resources for Guinea Bissau