Although female genital mutilation (FGM) has been illegal in Egypt since 2008, many Egyptian girls continue to be subjected to the harmful practice. A fourth of the 125 million women and girls alive today who have undergone FGM live in Egypt, which is more than any other country in the world. Most Egyptian girls undergo the procedure when they are between the ages of 9 and 12. The cutting usually happens during the summer months so that the girls can recover before school starts. Currently about 61% of Egyptian girls aged 15 to 17 have undergone FGM. Egypt recently announced a goal to reduce this number by 10-15% within the next five years.