Critical Analysis of Interventions Against FGC in Egypt

13023-411. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID. 2Summary Community-based programs designed to discourage the practice of female genital cutting (FGC) in Egypt started as early as the 1920s and have continued to the present day. However, the battle against FGC gained its greatest momentum after the 1994 United Nations International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). Today, messages to discourage the practice of FGC are found in most community development, health sector and women’s rights programs in Egypt. Although the government has been very supportive of initiatives designed to combat the practice, the longest tradition of active programs is within the NGO sector. More than one model has been used to eradicate FGC in Egypt. However, NGOs seldom document the process they follow in implementing interventions, the strengths and weaknesses of each approach, difficulties faced in implementation, or ways of overcoming those difficulties. Also, there is scant empirical evidence about the impac