“Never my daughters”: A qualitative study regarding attitude change toward female genital cutting among Ethiopian and Eritrean families in Sweden (2009)

This study is a Exploratory research regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics: Author(s): Johnsdotter S,Moussa K,Carlbom A,Aregai R,Essén B FGM/C Type(s): All Health area of focus: None. Objective: To explore attitudes toward female genital cutting FGM/C in a migration perspective Study Population: Women,Men Findings: The study found firm rejection of all forms of FGM/C and absence of a guiding motive. Informants failed to see any meaning in upholding the custom. It concluded that children of Ethiopian or Eritrean parents resident in Sweden run little risk of being subjected to FGM/C Geographical coverage Region(s):Northern Europe Country(ies):Sweden Source

September 8, 2023

“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 …

“With an antenna we can stop the practice of female genital cutting”: a participatory assessment of ASHREAT AL AMAL,an entertainment-education radio soap opera in sudan (2010)

This study is a Exploratory research regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics: Author(s): Greiner Karen,Arvind Singhal,and Sarah Hurlburt FGM/C Type(s): All Health area of focus: None. Objective: To investigate how avid listeners of the radio soap opera engaged with its educational content Study Population: Avid listeners of Ashreat Al Amal (“Sails of Hope”),an entertainment-education radio soap opera in Sudan. Findings: The respondents’ sketches and photos suggest that they comprehended several intersecting plotlines and educational messages of Ashreat Al Amal,that is,a more empowered status for women,safe reproductive health practices and the dangers of the traditional practice of female genital cutting (a practice that is widespread in Sudan). Both male and female respondents emphasized that storylines related to female genital cutting held the most personal meaning for them as it closely paralleled their lived realities. Furthermore,our research demonstrated the power of participatory assessment methodologies,especially to generate unanticipated dialogue on “taboo” topics such as female genital cutting. Geographical coverage Region(s):Northern Africa Country(ies):Sudan Source

‘Beauty’ and ‘The Beast’: Analogizing between Cosmetic Surgery and Female Genital Mutilation (2012)

This study is a Descriptive research regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics: Author(s): Theodore Bennett FGM/C Type(s): All Health area of focus: None. Objective: To analogize between cosmetic surgery and female genital mutilation Study Population: NA Findings: The key conceptual similarities between FGM and cosmetic surgery are that both sets of procedures can be considered to be physically harmful,that they both target females and that they are based on particular patriarchal cultural understandings about femininity and female sexuality. The two sets of procedures can be seen to be similar because they both necessarily involve the cutting and shaping of the body in physically harmful ways. As they are both surgical (or quasi-surgical) procedures,their mere performance can be seen as potentially ‘unhealthy and dangerous’. Furthermore,the fact that neither set of procedures is aimed towards healing the patient,or somehow treating a condition/disease,means that their performance is not only ‘risky’ but is also medically ‘unnecessary’. Geographical coverage Region(s):Not specified Country(ies):Not specified Source

‘Birds of the same feathers fly together’: midwives’ experiences with pregnant women and FGM/C complications – a grounded theory study in Liberia (2019)

This study is a Descriptive research regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics: Author(s): Tarr-Attia,C. K.,Boiwu,G. H.,& Martínez-Pérez,G. FGM/C Type(s): All Health area of focus: Obstetrics. Objective: This study aimed to understand the health implications of FGM/C as perceived by qualified female midwives. Study Population: Female registered midwives born in Liberia; knowledgeable of FGM/C; and who had worked as midwives for at least two years were targeted as study participant Findings: The midwives participants described how clitoridectomy was the most common FGM/C type done to the girls during the Sande initiation ceremonies. Sexual impairment and intrapartum vulvo-perineal laceration with subsequent hemorrhage were described as frequent FGM/C-attributable complications that some midwives could be unable to address due to lack of knowledge and skills. The majority of midwives would advocate for the abandonment of FGM/C,and for the preservation of the traditional instructions that the girls in FGM/C-practicing regions receive when joining Sande. The midwives described how migration to urban areas,and improved access to information and communication technologies might be fuelling abandonment of FGM/C. Geographical coverage Region(s):Western Africa Country(ies):Liberia Source

‘Drop that blade or I’ll show you my pussy’: The visual (non)representation of the vagina in campaigns against female genital mutilation (2018)

This study is a Exploratory research regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics: Author(s): Booyzen,Y. FGM/C Type(s): All Health area of focus: None. Objective: This study aimed to analyse the visual representation of the vagina in anti-female genital mutilation (FGM)campaigns Study Population: Campaigns that were available online,or which have been assessed in other studies are examined. Findings: Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a significant violation of women’s human rights in Africa. Numerous attempts were currently ongoing on a global scale to limit its prevalence and eliminate the destructive practice. Some campaigns avoid violating taboos and employed more conventional graphic content. Others utilized clever graphics to imply the severity of the behavior without questioning societal standards. In anti-FGM initiatives,can more detailed portrayals of the vagina lead to a deconditioning of social norms? Or will it maintain the taboo by reinforcing the notion that the vagina is something to be feared,tortured,and hidden? Reviving female genital mutilation (or anasuromai) to exploit the female body as a political weapon is possible. The vagina ought to be de-stigmatized,de-demonized,disclosed,and celebrated. It should become a tool in the fight against violence and child and female abuse. Geographical coverage Region(s):Not specified Country(ies):Not specified Source

‘It’s Only a Tradition’: Making Sense of Eradication Interventions and the Persistence of Female ‘Circumcision’ within a Swedish Context (2004)

This study is a Descriptive research regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics: Author(s): Beth Maina Ahlberg FGM/C Type(s): All Health area of focus: None. Objective: To assess why female circumcision (FC) persists despite eradication interventions and the migration of people to non-practising countries and discusses the reasoning of Somali immigrants on female circumcision. Study Population: Somali immigrants  Findings:  Female circumcision was described,as just ‘a tradition’ that has little to do with Islam. The fear of bringing up an uncircumcised daughter in the liberal sexual morality of Sweden was mentioned as a dilemma. Circumcised women said the health care they received during pregnancy and childbirth was poor while the law failed to take account of the experiences of the Somali people. We conclude that rather than eradication,interventions seem to have silenced and stigmatized the practice due to their failure to take account of its meanings,organization and contexts,including the diasporic dynamics within which immigrants negotiate identities. Geographical coverage Region(s):Northern Europe Country(ies):Sweden Source

“Between Two Cultures” A Rapid PEER Study Exploring Migrant Communities’ Views on Female Genital Mutilation in Essex and Norfolk,UK (2016)

This study is a Descriptive research regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics: Author(s): Kate Norman,Seblework Belay Gegzabher and Naana Otoo-Oyortey FGM/C Type(s): All Health area of focus: None. Objective: To Shed light on the lived realities of migrants from these countries and gain insights into their communities’ views on FGM in the UK as well as back in their country of origin. Study Population: migrant men and women living in both Essex and Norfolk Findings: Ability to adapt to life in the UK depended on the type of life people had left behind,with those escaping conflict and oppression more likely to have positive experiences. For the most part,people found integration difficult,and in some cases they perceived the social,cultural and religious differences in the UK as too hard to overcome. Some interviewees said that they chose not to integrate as the cultural and religious differences were too great. Many more felt that they wanted to integrate but were faced with isolation,discrimination and language barriers. Almost all interviewees felt that gender roles in the UK had changed,with women experiencing more freedom and empowerment and men often feeling emasculated. Accounts of domestic violence were very common amongst interviewees and could be aggravated by the perceived change in gender roles. Interviewees also felt that the rights of children were more widely protected in the UK and many felt that this was a positive. Others expressed concern over the sexualisation of children and the interference of the State in the affairs of the family Geographical coverage Region(s):Northern Europe Country(ies):United Kingdom Source

“Cutting for love”: genital incisions to enhance sexual desirability and commitment in KwaZulu-Natal,South Africa (2010)

This study is a Descriptive research regarding IV FGM/C with the following characteristics: Author(s): Fiona Scorgie, Mags Beksinska,Matthew Chersich, Busi Kunene, Adriane Martin Hilber and Jennifer Smit FGM/C Type(s): IV Health area of focus: None. Objective: To describe a little known practice of this kind among women in KwaZulu-Natal Study Population: women and men in a rural and urban site in KwaZulu-Natal Findings: The study describes a little known practice of this kind among women in KwaZulu-Natal. It involves the use of small incisions in the genital area (and often abdomen and breasts) to introduce herbal substances,described as love medicines,into the body through the incisions. In-depth interviews were carried out with 20 key informants and 20 women,and eight focus group discussions with women and men,in a rural and urban site in 2005–06. A province-wide household survey was then conducted using a multi-stage cluster sample design among 867 women aged 18–60. Forty-two per cent of the women in the household survey had heard of genital incisions; only 3% had actually used them. The main motivation was the enhancement of sexual attractiveness and long-term partner commitment. It appeared to be a very recent practice,but may be an extension of an older healing practice not involving the genitals. It was most prevalent among rural women aged 24–29 (although not significant),those with less education,and those who suspected their partners of having other partners. It was linked to the modern popularity of love medicines,which in turn illustrated the troubling state of gender relations in KwaZulu-Natal. Geographical coverage Region(s):Southern Africa Country(ies):South Africa Source

“Promote locally led initiatives to fight female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C)” lessons from anti-FGM/C advocates in rural Kenya (2020)

This study is a Exploratory research regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics: Author(s): P Mwendwa FGM/C Type(s): All Health area of focus: none. Objective: to explore the views of anti-FGM/C advocates on the barriers and facilitators to tackling FGM/C. Study Population: men and women Findings: there has been a shift in the culture.the number of families practicing FGM/C has reduced. Five actions were noted for change to come about; reviving and supporting ARP,encouraging fathers involvement in their daughter`s upbringing,inclusion of FGM/C in the education curriculum,strenthenig community policing through nyuma kumi and setting up community centers for orphans. Geographical coverage Region(s):Eastern Africa Country(ies):kenya Source