Combining Theory and Research to Validate a Social Norms Framework Addressing Female Genital Mutilation., (2022)
This study is a Descriptive research regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics:
Author(s): Suruchi S.,and Ramaiya A.
FGM/C Type(s): All
Health area of focus: None.
Objective: In 2016,the United Nations Joint Program to Eliminate FGM,funded the development and subsequent validation of a monitoring and evaluation framework to understand the relationship between social norms and practicing FGM. Evidence on the framework was gathered through a pilot study in Ethiopia. This paper uses cross-sectional quantitative data from the pilot to operationalize the framework and determine what factors are associated with practicing FGM
Study Population: Household eligibility criteria included that there was an adolescent girl 10–19 years old and a primary caregiver in the household and both provided consent to participating in the study. Both assent and consent procedures were followed for interviewing adolescent girls below 18 years of age. Apart from interviewing both the adolescent girls and their primary caregivers,these respondents were asked to nominate individuals who they considered as influential in matters associated with FGM,as well as,specific individuals in their social networks whose opinion around FGM mattered. Community influential and social network contacts were ranked based on the frequency they were mentioned in each enumeration area. These individuals were interviewed by the data collection team if they were available and consented to be interviewe
Findings: A total of 554 and 481 participants answered the question “Have you undergone FGM?” and “Do you know a family member who has undergone FGM?” respectively. Overall,65% of participants said they had undergone FGM and 32% said they knew someone in their family who had undergone FGM. Predictors of not undergoing FGM included most progressive attitudes vs. less progressive attitudes about FGM and relationship to identity [OR: 1.9 (95% CI: 1.1–3.3)]; region [Afar vs. Addis Ababa: OR: 0.09 (95% CI: 0.02–0.5); Southern Nations Nationalities and People’s Regions vs. Addis Ababa: OR: 0.1 (95% CI: 0.05–0.3)],being 36 years old and above vs. 10–19 years (OR: 0.2 (95% CI: 0.1 to 0.7)) and being single,never married vs. married or engaged (OR: 2.8 (95% CI: 1.1–7.0)]. Predictors of knowing a family member who has not undergone FGM included: Higher knowledge vs. lower knowledge [OR: 0.3 (95% CI: 0.1–0.5)]; if the family expected you to abandon FGM,you had a greater odds of knowing a family member who had not undergone FGM [43.6 (95% CI: 2.7–687.8)]; coming from Southern Nations,Nationalities and People’s Region was associated with a lower odds of knowing a family member who had not undergone FGM [0.3 (95% CI: 0.1–0.6)]. Being a female influential vs. female caregiver was associated with a higher odds of knowing a family member who had not undergone FGM [2.9 (95% CI: 1.01–5.2)]. This paper has allowed us to validate a theory and research based social norms framework,specifically examining how social and behavior change communication can be used as a mechanism for shifting norms around a given harmful practice. Now that this model has been developed and validated,it is likely to provide a foundation to study the direct and indirect impacts of social norms programming on changing harmful practices,such as FGM.Many academics,researchers,and practitioners have remarked on the difficulty of measuring norms and linking norm change to exposure and involvement with communication interventions. Despite the limitations noted above,this paper has allowed us to operationalize a conceptual model on social norms measurement,specifically examining how social and behavior change communication can be used as a mechanism for shifting norms around a given harmful practice. Now that this model has been developed and validated,it is likely to provide a foundation to study the direct and indirect impacts of social norms programming on changing harmful practices,such as FGM. Plans are currently underway to incorporate the ACT framework into the FGM program in Sudan,which will allow us to use the pilot data to monitor and evaluate change.At a macro level,opportunities to reduce or to end the practice of FGM/C exist through legislation,policy,a public health approach grounded in gender equality and human rights. Using multi-sectoral actions that consider the social context and challenge social norms at macro,meso and micro levels appears more effective than individual-level interventions. Promoting advocacy and developing supportive environments to reduce GBV,enhance gender equality and empower communities is crucial for interventions to succeed and achieve the Sustainable Development Goal target of FGM/C abandonment by 2030.
Geographical coverage
Region(s):Western Africa,Eastern Africa
Country(ies):Ethiopia,Guinea