FGM/C decision-making process and the role of gender power relations in Sudan (2018)
This study is a Descriptive research regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics:
Author(s): Eldin,A. G.,Babiker,S.,Sabahelzain,M. & Eltayeb,M.
FGM/C Type(s): All
Health area of focus: None.
Objective: This study aimed to contribute to a better understanding of FGM/C in Sudan and the way different families perceive the practice and make FGM/C-related decisions.
Study Population: Household members (men and women)
Findings: FGM/C is widely practised in the research sites. Just over half (52 percent) of those who decided to circumcise viewed it as a cultural practice. Awareness of the harms was linked to a shift from the ‘severe’ pharaonic to the ‘sunna’ cut. Families go through lengthy and complex deliberations involving nuclear and extended family members and other influencers. Key moments in the decision-making process are the time (and age) when the deliberation on FGM/C are initiated and the time of the year/season. Men hold contradictory positions on FGM/C – some are willing to marry an uncut girl but would prefer their sister to be cut. Maternal and paternal grandmothers are important actors in FGMC decision-making. In general,widespread support and practise of FGM is sustained by deeply rooted social norms and gender power structures. The study findings underscore the need for interventions that address gendered social norms that support the regulation of women’s sexuality and sexual behaviour. The belief that the “sunna” cut performed by trained medical staff addresses the harms arising from FGM/C may pose a huge challenge for abandonment efforts. Legal restrictions or shifts in the practice of female genital mutilation/circumcision (FGM/C) need to be studied to understand how laws can be strengthened to promote the abandonment of all forms of FGM. Further research is needed to understand men’s views on FGM/c and their role in shaping attitudes towards the practice.
Geographical coverage
Region(s):Northern Africa
Country(ies):Sudan