PARLIAMENTARY CAMPAIGN "STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN":
FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION
| | Legislation and other national provisions: |
| Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan |
Country-specific information on the current state of national legislation dealing directly or indirectly with the issue of female genital mutulation reproduces the contents of the official communications received to date from national parliaments. Other reliable information, contained in the documents published by the United Nations and the World Health Organization, is also taken into consideration. Whenever necessary, it is specified that the IPU has not received any official information directly.
 Click here for information about other countries
| ALGERIA |
- Current status: Female genital mutilation is reportedly not practised in Algeria. However, the IPU has no first-hand official information on this subject.
- Legislation: The IPU has no information on the existence of specific legislation.
- Operational structure: not applicable.
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| ANDORRA |
- Current status: Female genital mutilation is not practised in Andorra.
- Legislation: Article 192 of the Penal Code provides as follows: "anyone who mutilates, blinds, castrates or renders sterile another person or causes lesions in that person leading to total and lasting physiological or mental disablement shall be punishable by a maximum of 15 years' imprisonment".
- Operational structure: not applicable.
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| ANGOLA |
- Current status: Female genital mutilation is reportedly not practised in Angola. However, the IPU has no first-hand official information on this subject.
- Legislation: The IPU has no information on the existence of specific legislation.
- Operational structure: not applicable.
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| AUSTRALIA |
- Current status: Introcision is reportedly practised by the Pitta-Patta Aborigines. In addition, female genital mutilation affects the girls and women of certain immigrant populations. According to the 1991 Australian Bureau of Statistics Census, there were approximately 76,000 women living in Australia from countries where some form of female genital mutilation is practised. Estimates in 1996 were that the number had passed the 87,000 mark. However, the IPU has no first-hand official statistics or other details on this subject.
- Legislation: Laws covering female genital mutilation have been in force in six of Australia's eight States since 1994-97 but not at the federal level. However, the IPU has no first-hand official information on this subject.
- National plan of action: The 1995-2000 national education programme on FGM was directed at relevant communities and health and welfare professionals.
- Operational structure: Such a structure reportedly exists; however, the IPU has no first-hand official information on this subject.
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| AUSTRIA |
- Current status: The African Women’s Organization of Austria has conducted a research study on FGM among African immigrants in Austria. More than 30% of immigrant families in Austria have daughters who are excised; the majority of them were operated on in Africa before they came to Austria. The Director of the organization thinks that FGM is also practised in Austria. However, the IPU has no first-hand official statistics or other details on this subject.
- Legislation: Austria reportedly has a law on FGM; however, Parliament has not yet forwarded the references and text of the law to the IPU.
- Operational structure: The IPU has not received any information on this subject.
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| AZERBAIJAN |
- Current status: Ancestral practices which affect girls and women do not exist and have never existed in Azerbaijan.
- Legislation: There is no legislation dealing directly with female genital mutilation.
- Operational structure: not applicable.
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Female genital mutilation: table of contents