Brunei

436,000

1.25%

Estimated prevalence among girls and women aged 15-49

There have been no widespread studies conducted, so prevalence of female genital cutting (FGC) in Brunei is unknown.  Stop FGM Middle East suggest the practice is widespread amongst Muslim women.

Type practised

Type I or Type IV FGC are most likely practiced in Brunei, with reports discussing symbolic FGC and removal of the clitoral hood. The Ministry of Religious Affairs in Brunei has declared female circumcision to be ‘sunat’, or an obligatory religious rite for Muslim women, involving the removal of the clitoral hood.

Age

There are no statistics on the age at which FGC takes place, but the Brunei government has reported FGC is carried out within 40 days of birth.

Source: US State Department, Ref World

Agent

Unknown.

Legal status

Legal. There is no law against FGC in Brunei.

National progress

–  There are no current efforts to abandon FGC in Brunei.

– In January 2016, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child expressed concern over FGC being carried out in Brunei.

Human Development Index ranking

39 in 2018 index, based on 2017 data.

Infant mortality rate

9 deaths per 1,000 live births (2016).

Maternal mortality rate

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

Source: Human Development Index

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