Belgium
A ban of the practice has been incorporated within the Law

Denmark
No specific law against FGM but the practice can be prosecuted under Article 245 ("Assault and Health Provision") of the Danish Penal Code

France
Although there is no specific law on FGM prosecutions can and have been made under Article 222 of the Code Penal 1992. France is the country where most prosecutions against FGM have taken place (20-25).

Germany
No specific law against FGM but the practice can be prosecuted under Articles 224 ("Serious Bodily Harm") and 226 ("Grave Bodily Harm") of the German Penal Code

Italy
No specific law against FGM but the practice can be prosecuted under Article 582 ("Personal Injury") of the Italian Penal Code

Norway
In 1985 all hospitals were alerted to the practice.

Sweden
In 1982 the Act of Prohibition of Female Circumcision was passed. It was revised in 1998 to make the penalties more severe and to be able to prosecute Swedish residents arranging for FGM to take place in another country.

United Kingdom
The Female Circumcision Act was passed in 1985. This makes the practice of any procedures known as Female Circumcision a crime. The Act also makes it illegal to aid, abet, counsel or procure the carrying out of these procedures. The Children Act was passed in 1989. Although the Children Act, 1989 does not specifically refer to FGM, the Government has brought FGM within the ambit of child protection systems in its most recent guidance issued in 1991, "Working Together". This guidance refers to the Female Circumcision Act, 1985 and states that; "if a Local Authority has reason to believe that a child is likely to suffer significant harm as a result of FGM, it should consider to what extent it should exercise its investigative power under Section 47 (2) of the Children Act 1989".

Burkina Faso
Statements have been made by Heads of State expressing the need to eliminate FGM and the formulation of a national legislation is in process.

Djibouti
The Government is in the process of formulating a national legislation.

Cote d'Ivoire
A law prohibiting FGM was passed in 1998.

Egypt
A decree banning the practice was passed in 1959.
'The Government of Egypt announced its reversal of the decision to allow female circumcision operations to be performed in its public and district hospitals.
Instead, gynaecological, maternal obstetric and children's departments will be designated as places of "… education, instruction and guidance…" against the practice rather than places of its implementation' (IAC newsletter, no.18 Dec 1995).

Ghana
In 1994 the Criminal Code was amended to include FGM. It is known that at least one prosecution has taken place under this Code.

Kenya
The proposal for a Specific Law against FGM was defeated in Parliament in 1996.

Senegal
1999 Law was amended to include FGM

Somalia
Before the civil war, initiatives to stop the practice were put forward by the Ministry of Health.

Sudan
The practice of FGM has been illegal since 1946 when the British Colonial Administration tried to prosecute a midwife. However, the Sudanese people who saw it as part of a colonial attempt to destroy African culture dropped these proceedings because of demonstrations.

Tanzania
The 1998 Penal Code was amended to incorporate FGM

Togo
Specific Law 1998

USA
The 1997 Schroder Bill prevents FGM on minors.

California - The State Prohibition of the Female Genital Mutilation Act was passed in February 1996. It has criminalized the people that perform the operation by declaring it a "felony", punishable by imprisonment. The State Department of Health Services aims to educate and inform communities which traditionally practice female circumcision.

Australia
The Government allocated $3.8 million towards education against FGM over a five-year period