A study on Female Genital Mutilation in Eritrea (2003)
This study is a Descriptive research regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics:
Author(s): Worku Zerai
FGM/C Type(s): All
Health area of focus: None.
Objective: The aim of this study was to build a body of knowledge on FGM in Eritrea that can be used for designing interventions in the area.
Study Population: Women
Findings: The study found out that 97 percent of the respondents are circumcised,whilst 70 percent and 56 percent of the respondents agreed that they have circumcised all their daughters and the last (youngest) daughter respectively. Examining the data closely shows that some ethnic groups perform circumcision at a much higher rate than some of them. For example,all the women respondents from Kunama,Hidareb,Tigre,Afar,Bilen and Returnees claimed to be circumcised. The rest that is 99 percent,98 percent,97 percent and 92 percent of the Nara,Afar,Saho and Tigrigna respondents respectively reported that they are circumcised. The overall picture suggests that in some ethnic groups the prevalence of FGM among the last daughters could be as high as that of the mother. Apart from that it indicates that husbands share the same attitude as the wife towards FGM. This calls for the inclusion of men in the struggle for the elimination of the practice. Operations are in general performed by traditional circumcisers and TBA. Nevertheless,in the in-depth interviews it was found that there are trained traditional birth attendants (TTBA) who circumcise and re-stich after delivery. Not only that,but that they strongly support the practice and that despite the fact that they have been advised not to circumcise while they were being trained by MOH,they still perform the operation
Geographical coverage
Region(s):Eastern Africa
Country(ies):Eritrea