The Ministry of Social Solidarity has revealed that - according to a recent population health survey - the current rate of unlawful female circumcision, or female genital mutilation (FGM), has reached an all-time low of 27%, compared to 61% in 2014.

The Egyptian government has been implementing increasingly strict measures against FGM. In January 2021, the Cabinet raised the maximum penalty against performing FGM to 20 years in prison, up from seven years, with doctors being disallowed from practicing medicine for five years. Awareness campaigns against FGM have also been prevalent. In 2020, UNICEF Egypt and the National Council for Women launched the #ProtectHerAgainstFGM campaign, encouraging women to report such illegal practices by contacting the national child hotline (16000) or the NCW’s hotline for complaints (15115).

That same year, Egyptian doctors launched the ‘White Coats’ campaign against FGM, gathering at metro stations to raise awareness of the dangers of the procedure. In 2022, the National Committee for the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation began a door-knocking campaign in villages across 26 governorates, raising awareness of the health and psychological risks of FGM while advocating for harsher penalties for those who impose the practice on others.