Guinea-Bissau

Type practised

The most widely practised forms of female genital cutting (FGC) in Guinea-Bissau are Type I and Type II.

Age

The majority of girls at risk of undergoing FGC in Guinea-Bissau will be cut between 10-14 years of age (43%), although FGC is also practised on younger girls.

Source: UNFPA-UNICEF

Agent

98% of FGC procedures are performed by traditional practitioners.

Source: UNFPA-UNICEF

Legal status

Illegal. The law prohibiting FGC has been in place since 2011.

Source: UNFPA-UNICEF

National progress

• 2010 – FGC National Strategy and Plan of Action (2010-2015) introduced
• 2011 – Law criminalising FGC was passed
• 2016 – National Poverty Reduction Strategy; Priority Action Plan “Vision 2025”
• 2017 – National Policy for Gender Equity and Equality launched
• 2017 – National plan of action

UN programme

The UNFPA-UNICEF joint programme is active in Guinea-Bissau, with interventions focused on areas where FGC is most prevalent. In Phase II of the programme, 394 communities and more than 450 religious and influential community leaders publicly declared their support for the abandonment of FGC. The UN reports that there has not been significant change in practices, however.

Enforcement

The UN joint programme reports that there have been 39 judicial cases since the adoption of the law to prevent and criminalise FGC.

Source: UNFPA-UNICEF

Human Development Index ranking

177 in 2018 index, based on 2017 data.

Infant mortality rate

60 deaths per 1,000 live births (2015).

Source: 28 Too Many

Maternal mortality rate

549 deaths per 100,000 live births (2015).

Source: 28 Too Many

Trends in FGC prevalence

Rates of FGC in Guinea-Bissau have not changed significantly.

Source: UNFPA-UNICEF

Prevalence breakdown

By region

The regions where FGC is most prevalent are in the east:  Gabú (96.3%) and Bafatá (86.8%).

Practising ethnic groups

Fula/Peul. Mandinka

Source: UNICEF, based on MICS 2014, UNFPA-UNICEF

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