![1211906479 Sudanese women walk in the capital Khartoum's district of Jureif Ghar on May 5, 2020. - Sudan's cabinet approved amendments to the criminal code that would punish those who perform Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) with up to three years in prison and a fine. The practice has long been viewed, especially in rural communities, as a "rite of passage" for girls and a way to preserve their chastity. Rights groups have for years decried as barbaric the practise which can lead to myriad physical, psychological and](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2020/05/GettyImages-1211906479.jpg/GettyImages-1211906479.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=J-MQjMOz)
![1211906479 Sudanese women walk in the capital Khartoum's district of Jureif Ghar on May 5, 2020. - Sudan's cabinet approved amendments to the criminal code that would punish those who perform Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) with up to three years in prison and a fine. The practice has long been viewed, especially in rural communities, as a "rite of passage" for girls and a way to preserve their chastity. Rights groups have for years decried as barbaric the practise which can lead to myriad physical, psychological and](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2020/05/GettyImages-1211906479.jpg/GettyImages-1211906479.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=J-MQjMOz)
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![1211906479 Sudanese women walk in the capital Khartoum's district of Jureif Ghar on May 5, 2020. - Sudan's cabinet approved amendments to the criminal code that would punish those who perform Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) with up to three years in prison and a fine. The practice has long been viewed, especially in rural communities, as a "rite of passage" for girls and a way to preserve their chastity. Rights groups have for years decried as barbaric the practise which can lead to myriad physical, psychological and](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2020/05/GettyImages-1211906479.jpg/GettyImages-1211906479.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=J-MQjMOz)
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