In a telephone interview with the DIRB, the president of the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children based in Geneva stated that female genital mutilation (FGM) is a widespread practice in many West African countries, including Guinea (30 Apr. 1997). Among the Peul seventy percent of the female population practice FGM. She further stated that FGM is performed from the age of seven when girls are very young, in order to control their sexuality (ibid.). Excision, she stated, is the practice normally performed. According to a Minority Rights Group on FGM, excision means "the cutting of the clitoris and of all part of the labia minora" (1983, 1). This source stated that the decision to excise a girl is always made by the mother because if a woman is not excised, she will be shunned by her society and no man will marry her (ibid.). This information is corroborated by an article on FGM which appeared in Amina, a magazine for French-speaking African women. According to this source the Peul are among the ethnic groups with the highest number of excised women (Apr. 1997, 30). The article states that men, who insist that the woman excise herself and women, particularly mothers-in-laws, who refuse to eat food made by an "impure" woman, as the taunts of co-wives, are responsible for the perpetuation of this practice. "The day when women decide that there should be no more excision, there will be none " (ibid., 31). For more information on this procedure, please consult the attached docuement.

The president of the Inter-African Committee stated that women's NGOs in particular, le Comité national contres les pratiques traditionnel néfastes, in Conakry, are very active in sensitizing women to the deleterious health effects of this practice. She also stated that the government is very supportive of the campaign to stop this practice, however, she stated, "there is no clear cut legislation" on this practice (ibid.).

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1996 states that although FGM is illegal under Article 265 of the penal code, "it is practised in all regions and among all religious and ethnic groups. FGM is performed on girls and women between the ages of 4 and 70" (1966, 124). This sources also concurs that the government has made efforts to educate people on the dangers of this practice and senior officials have spoken against the practice (ibid.).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Amina [Paris]. avril 1997. Henriette Kouyate Carvalho d'Alvarenga. "Beaucoup de femmes excisées refusent que leur fille le soit."

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 1996. 1997. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.

Inter-African Commitee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children. Geneva. 30 April 1997. Telephone interview with President.

Minority Rights Group [London]. 1983. Report No. 49. Female Circumcision, Excision and Infibulation."

Amina [Paris]. avril 1997. Henriette Kouyate Carvalho d'Alvarenga. "Beaucoup de femmes excisées refusent que leur fille le soit."