Yemen

Two of Yemen’s governorates (Al-Mhrah and Hadramout) have an FGM prevalence of 80% or higher, and both are in the far east of the country.  Prevalence at the governorate level ranges from less than 1% (Al-Baidha, Al-Jawf, Sana’a, Al-Mhweit and Aldhalae) to 84.7% (Al-Mhrah).  It should be noted that some of the data at governorate level is based on a small number of women and should be interpreted with caution.

There is little difference between the prevalence in urban (17.1%) and rural (19.2%) areas.  Women with no formal education or only a  basic education are more likely to have been cut than women with a secondary or higher level of education.  

Women in the lowest wealth quintile are more likely to have been cut (26.5%) than those in the highest wealth quintile (14%).  However, across the five wealth quintiles there is not a straightforward trend.

Measurements of FGM prevalence prior to 2013 were restricted to women who had been married at any time, meaning that a direct comparison cannot be made.  However, breaking down the most recent data by age group shows that the prevalence among women aged 45–49 is 22.8%, while among the youngest age group this has fallen to 16.4%.  Despite the fact that a small proportion of women may be cut after the age of 15, the data suggests a trend towards less frequent cutting among younger women.