Niger's genital mutilation campaign

A non-governmental organisation in Niger has begun a campaign against genital mutilation - which is widely practised on girls and young women, especially in rural areas.

The organisation, Coniprat, says the aim is to alert the public to the risks genital mutilation poses to human health, including the spread of Aids.

A BBC correspondent in Niger says it's a crucial issue in the western part of Niger, with a survey in the Tillaberi area showing that over 50% of girls and women are subjected to such mutilation.

She says legal work has already started to make the practice a crime.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service