Ivory Coast - Sentences for Genital Cutting - NYTimes.com An Ivory Coast official says nine women have been sentenced to two years in prison each for involvement in the genital cutting of women, the first time such a case has resulted in jail time in the West African nation. The official, Jean-Luc Molo of the Justice Ministry, said the women from the northern town of Katiola were found guilty of carrying out the cutting on "groups of young girls" over an extended period. Genital cutting of women has been banned in Ivory Coast since 1998.