Changes in FGM/C in Somaliland: Medical narrative driving shift in types of cutting (2018)
This study is a Exploratory research regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics:
Author(s): Powell,R. A. & Yussuf,M.
FGM/C Type(s): All
Health area of focus: None.
Objective: The study aimed to explore views and experiences of married and unmarried men and women on FGM/C and potential changes in its practice (in terms of age,cut severity,and medicalisation); Individual,family,and societal factors contributing to any changes,or continuation,of FGM/C; The knowledge,views,and experiences of health care workers who offer FGM/C services (including corrective services as well as potentially medicalised versions) and their role as change agents rather than providers,and; How health care systems’ capacities can be strengthened for management and prevention.
Study Population: Married (not dyads) and unmarried men and women of reproductive age (20-49 years),from rural and urban areas with varying levels of formal education,and health care workers (20-60 years) with familiarity managing FGM/C procedures in two regions of Somaliland.
Findings: This study uncovered significant evidence of a fundamental shift in the FGM/C procedures performed in Somaliland. This transition,which may have been more noticeable in urban areas,was from the invasive pharaonic cut to the less severe Sunni version. This transition in cut severity appears to be accompanied by a downward trend in the age at which the procedure is performed (currently between 5 and 8 years old) as well as an increase in the medicalization of the practice,with health professionals serving as cutters and cuttings taking place in facilities or in the homes of individuals. It appears that the transition from the pharaonic to the Sunna version of FGM/C is,at least in part,an attempt to address the medical narrative advanced by many anti-FGM/C campaigns (that the practice is detrimental to the health of the girl or woman). Existing sociocultural expectations stipulate that a cut of some description (if not pharaonic,which is increasingly viewed as not being an inherent part of Somaliland culture and is not mandated by religious teachings) must be performed to ensure,for example,the girl’s chastity,to decrease her sexual arousal levels,to maintain her clean reputation,and to increase her marriageability prospects. Many have become receptive to current religious teachings that promote the Sunna cut as an acceptable and desired type of FGM/C as a result of the need to establish a balance between health preservation and sociocultural normative standards. Even if the normative landscape for renouncing FGM/C is challenging in Somaliland,the fact that social norms are in a contentious state of change means that supporters have opportunities to contribute to the discourse. However,this contribution should go beyond the medical narrative and advance the discussion to physical autonomy and informed consent issues. The population of Somaliland appears to be undergoing normative shifts,and there is an increasing readiness for change. However,the nature of this transition is not the abandonment of the practice,but rather its transformation into a version that is more socially acceptable. In Somaliland,a new norm is evolving,yet it appears to be altering mainly to promote the continuation of the practice.
Geographical coverage
Region(s):Eastern Africa
Country(ies):Somalia