“No to circumcision”: The road to effective social marketing campaigns in Egypt (2019)

This study is a Comparative research regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics:

Author(s): Hussein,S. A.,& Ghattass,S.
FGM/C Type(s): All
Health area of focus: None.

Objective: This study sought to understand how,where,and why SMCs for FGM/C abandonment are working,and with what impact,to inform design and scale-up of campaigns that can foster new perspectives,expectations,and behaviours
Study Population: NGO workers and programme implementers, parents of girls ages 10 to 14 years, male and female youth ages 18 to 25 years,religious leaders,physicians
Findings: The interviews with most non-governmental organisation (NGO) workers and implementers revealed strong collaborative networks between NGOs,the National Population Council (NPC),grassroots facilitators in each village,and community leaders. The interviews also showed that NGO staff were well-informed about the factors that drive and sustain FGM/C. Staff also noted,however,that they were not adequately trained on creating suitable and fully-functional SMCs and that these campaigns were often inconsistent and infrequent. The lack of funding was noted to be the primary reason for the intermittent campaigns. Community reluctance to discuss FGM/C and community beliefs that abandonment is a Western agenda were also cited as challenges faced by those implementing abandonment campaigns. In accordance with the findings from interviews with NGO staff that documented a decline in FGM/C abandonment programming,results from the secondary analyses show a significant decline in the proportion of ever-married women reporting exposure to FGM/C information in the 12 months preceding the survey (2014 EDHS –35%,2008 EDHS – 73%). Similar to the 2005 and 2008 EDHS,the majority (76%) of women who reported exposure to FGM/C information in the 12 months preceding the survey reported that they were exposed to FGM/C messages via television. Controlling for socio-demographic characteristics,women reporting exposure to FGM/C messages (whether information for or against FGM/C) in the 12 months preceding the survey were less likely to support FGM/C abandonment than those who reported no exposure to FGM/C messages. More highly educated women and those from wealthier households were significantly more likely to support abandonment than those with less education and those from poorer households,even after adjustment for exposure to FGM/C information and messages. Social media analysis shows limited discussion of FGM/C online. In the 2014 SYPE,a greater proportion of young men and women who reported social media use were supportive of abandonment than their counterparts who were not using social media. Focus group discussions with different community members indicated that the “No to Circumcision” slogan,which is part of the brand identity of the “El Bent Masriya” (the Girl is Egyptian) campaign,was the most recognised. However,this slogan was noted to cast FGM/C in a negative light and instilled fear rather than encouraging people to abandon the practice. Furthermore,study findings indicated that people are exposed to contradictory messages and that the perceived benefits of abandonment are not clear. As such,the thinking and interpretations of abandonment were noted to vary significantly across the groups interviewed. For example,although some participants expressed a preference for the abandonment of FGM/C,they noted that they would still consult a physician to confirm whether FGM/C was needed. Interviews also revealed the influential role that physicians and religious leaders play in decisions regarding FGM/C. Most of those interviewed reported a decline in the practice of FGM/C,especially amongst younger generations. Gender differences in knowledge and attitudes were noted. In contrast to young men and fathers,who had limited knowledge about the health impacts of FGM/C,mothers and young women were well-informed about the harms of FGM/C. Further,most mothers and young women said that FGM/C was wrong and harmful,whereas most fathers and young men were supportive of the practice as it ensures a woman’s chastity. Few participants,regardless of gender,were aware of the fatwa (Islamic ruling) released in 2008 by the Dar Al-Ifta,the highest Islamic authority in Egypt,forbidding the practice of FGM/C. Similarly,few participants were aware of the antiFGM/C law or the penalties associated with the practice. The vast majority of interviewed fathers and young men,regardless of their stance on FGM/C,described the television advertisements as ix shallow and confusing. They noted that the advertisements lacked the information they were seeking,such as clear statements on religious rulings about FGM/C and clear medical statements on FGM/C.The interviews with most non-governmental organisation (NGO) workers and implementers revealed strong collaborative networks between NGOs,the National Population Council (NPC),grassroots facilitators in each village,and community leaders. The interviews also showed that NGO staff were well-informed about the factors that drive and sustain FGM/C. Staff also noted,however,that they were not adequately trained on creating suitable and fully-functional SMCs and that these campaigns were often inconsistent and infrequent. The lack of funding was noted to be the primary reason for the intermittent campaigns. Community reluctance to discuss FGM/C and community beliefs that abandonment is a Western agenda were also cited as challenges faced by those implementing abandonment campaigns. In accordance with the findings from interviews with NGO staff that documented a decline in FGM/C abandonment programming,results from the secondary analyses show a significant decline in the proportion of ever-married women reporting exposure to FGM/C information in the 12 months preceding the survey (2014 EDHS –35%,2008 EDHS – 73%). Similar to the 2005 and 2008 EDHS,the majority (76%) of women who reported exposure to FGM/C information in the 12 months preceding the survey reported that they were exposed to FGM/C messages via television. Controlling for socio-demographic characteristics,women reporting exposure to FGM/C messages (whether information for or against FGM/C) in the 12 months preceding the survey were less likely to support FGM/C abandonment than those who reported no exposure to FGM/C messages. More highly educated women and those from wealthier households were significantly more likely to support abandonment than those with less education and those from poorer households,even after adjustment for exposure to FGM/C information and messages. Social media analysis shows limited discussion of FGM/C online. In the 2014 SYPE,a greater proportion of young men and women who reported social media use were supportive of abandonment than their counterparts who were not using social media. Focus group discussions with different community members indicated that the “No to Circumcision” slogan,which is part of the brand identity of the “El Bent Masriya” (the Girl is Egyptian) campaign,was the most recognised. However,this slogan was noted to cast FGM/C in a negative light and instilled fear rather than encouraging people to abandon the practice. Furthermore,study findings indicated that people are exposed to contradictory messages and that the perceived benefits of abandonment are not clear. As such,the thinking and interpretations of abandonment were noted to vary significantly across the groups interviewed. For example,although some participants expressed a preference for the abandonment of FGM/C,they noted that they would still consult a physician to confirm whether FGM/C was needed. Interviews also revealed the influential role that physicians and religious leaders play in decisions regarding FGM/C. Most of those interviewed reported a decline in the practice of FGM/C,especially amongst younger generations. Gender differences in knowledge and attitudes were noted. In contrast to young men and fathers,who had limited knowledge about the health impacts of FGM/C,mothers and young women were well-informed about the harms of FGM/C. Further,most mothers and young women said that FGM/C was wrong and harmful,whereas most fathers and young men were supportive of the practice as it ensures a woman’s chastity. Few participants,regardless of gender,were aware of the fatwa (Islamic ruling) released in 2008 by the Dar Al-Ifta,the highest Islamic authority in Egypt,forbidding the practice of FGM/C. Similarly,few participants were aware of the antiFGM/C law or the penalties associated with the practice. The vast majority of interviewed fathers and young men,regardless of their stance on FGM/C,described the television advertisements as ix shallow and confusing. They noted that the advertisements lacked the information they were seeking,such as clear statements on religious rulings about FGM/C and clear medical statements on FGM/C.

Geographical coverage
Region(s):Northern Africa
Country(ies):Egypt

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