If you go into the Bondo Society,they will honour and respect you. Research on Female Genital Mutilation in Freetown,Sierra Leone (2016)

This study is a Participatory Ethnographic Evaluation and Research (PEER) regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics:

Author(s): FORWARD (Foundation for Women’s Health,Research and Development)
FGM/C Type(s): All
Health area of focus: None.

Objective: To documents the results of participatory research,carried out with young women at risk of or affected by FGM in Freetown,Sierra Leone.
Study Population: Girls
Findings: FORWARD has achieved great success in establishing clubs and networks for girls at risk of,or affected by FGM. Clubs and networks provide members with information,skills,services and support from their PEERs and relevant professionals. in the choice for them to undergo FGM. More commonly the decision is made by their family members,with significant pressure from their communities. Initiation into the Bondo Society is regarded as a crucial aspect of maintaining culture,tradition and identity. The Bondo Society is viewed as “women’s business” and men are prohibited from talking about or interfering in the society’s work. Elder women in the girl’s family are frequently responsible for making the decision for their daughter to undergo FGM,as part of their implicit responsibility for the continuation of tradition and culture. Despite being labelled “women’s business”,gender inequality explains the cause and continuation of FGM. This PEER has shown that fathers are one of the key drivers behind child marriage,of which Bondo initiation and FGM are a necessary precursor. Community members perceive men as preferring to marry girls who have undergone FGM.

Geographical coverage
Region(s):Western Africa
Country(ies):Sierra Leone

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