awareness, perception and practice of female genital mutilation ...
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?
description
Transcript of WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?
![Page 1: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?
Edilberto Loaiza Ph.D.
Strategic Information Section, DPP. UNICEF
![Page 2: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Definition of FGM/C
Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) includes “a range of practices involving the complete or partial removal or alteration of the external genitalia for non-medical reasons.”
Shell-Duncan, Bettina, and Yiva Hernlund, eds. 2000
![Page 3: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
FGM/C Violates the Rights of Girls and Women
• FGM/C violates girls’ and women’s fundamental human rights:
– It denies them of their right to physical and mental integrity
– It denies them of their right to freedom from violence and discrimination
– It denies them in the most extreme case the right to life
• An extreme example of discrimination based on sex
![Page 4: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
FGM/C: When and How
• The procedure is generally carried out on girls between the ages of 4 and 14
• it is also done to infants• women who are about to be married and, • It is often performed by traditional practitioners, including midwives/traditional birth attendants and barbers,
• using scissors, razor blades or broken glass
![Page 5: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
FGM/C: Indicators
• Prevalence(%) of FGM/C among women aged 15-49 • Prevalence(%) of FGM/C among daughters• Percentage of women 15-49 years old who believe
the practice of FGM/C should continue
![Page 6: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
FGM/C: Magnitude
• According to a WHO estimate, between 100 and 140
million women and girls in the world have undergone
some form of FGM/C (WHO, 2000)
• It is further estimated that up to three million girls in
sub-Saharan Africa, Egypt and Sudan are at risk of
genital mutilation/cutting annually (Yoder et al. 2005)
![Page 7: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Percentage of women aged 15-49 with FGM/C
![Page 8: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
FGM/C prevalence in Egypt, 2003
![Page 9: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
FGM/C prevalence in Kenya, 2003
![Page 10: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
FGM/C prevalence in Benin, 2001
![Page 11: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
FGM/C prevalence among women and daughters
![Page 12: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
DIFFERENTIALS OF FGM/C
Age of women Mother’s education Place of residence Ethnicity Religion Household wealth
![Page 13: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Change of the practice over time: lower levels of FGM/C among younger generations (Women)
![Page 14: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Change of the practice over time: lower levels of FGM/C among younger generations (Daughters)
![Page 15: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Mother’s education is associated with the FGM/C status of their daughters
![Page 16: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Rural women have significantly higher levels of FGM/C when total prevalence is below 75%
(except for Yemen and Nigeria)
![Page 17: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Is FGM/C serving as an ethnic marker?
![Page 18: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
In the majority of countries, FGM/C is performed by traditional practicioners
![Page 19: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
BELIEFS vs. PRACTICESSUPPORT OF FGM/C
Support for the practice is not universal and it tends to vary within and between countries
![Page 20: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
Support for the continuation of FGM/C is substantially lower than the percentage of
women that has undergone the practice
![Page 21: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
SUPPORT OF FGM/CSocio-economic and demographic
differentials
Age Education Place of residence Religion Women’s empowerment
Decision-making in regard to health care, large household purchases,
Non-acceptance of wife-beating
![Page 22: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
Support for the continuation of FGM/C varies across countries and ages
![Page 23: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
In 10 of the 15 countries, support for the continuation of FGM/C is higher among women with “no education”
![Page 24: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
In most countries, women residing in rural areas tend to favour the continuation of FGM/C
![Page 25: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
Egyptian and Ethiopian women who support the continuation of FGM/C are respectively 3.2 and 2.1 times more likely to accept that a husband
is justified in beating his wife if she argues with her husband
![Page 26: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
PERCEIVED CAUSES/BENEFITS
Custom and tradition/good tradition Religion Other reasons
Preserves a girl’s virginity Protects her from becoming promiscuous Prevents her from engaging in immoral behaviours A girl can’t be married unless she is circumcised Hygiene and cleanliness FGM/C brings greater pleasure to husbands
![Page 27: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
FGM/C prevalence rates are slowly declining Attitudes towards FGM/C are slowly changing as more
and more women oppose its continuation Strategies to end FGM/C must be accompanied by
holistic, community-based education and awareness-raising
Programmes must be cross-country specific and adapted to reflect regional, ethnic and socioeconomic variances
Detailed disaggregation of data by socioeconomic variables can significantly enhance and strengthen advocacy efforts at the country level
![Page 28: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/28.jpg)
“Even though cultural practices may appearsenseless or destructive from the standpoint of others, they have meaning and fulfil a functionfor those who practise them. However, cultureis not static; it is in constant fl ux, adapting andreforming. People will change their behaviourwhen they understand the hazards andindignity of harmful practices and when theyrealize that it is possible to give up harmfulpractices without giving up meaningful aspectsof their culture.”
Female Genital Mutilation, A jointWHO/UNICEF/UNFPA statement, 1997
![Page 29: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/29.jpg)
Is religion associated with the FGM/C status of women?
![Page 30: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/30.jpg)
How consistent is household wealth in determining the practice of FGM/C?
![Page 31: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/31.jpg)
Support for the continuation of FGM/C is found in greater numbers among Muslim women
![Page 32: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/32.jpg)
In Mali, women supporting the continuation of FGM/C are more likely to have their husbands
deciding on their own health care
![Page 33: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING?](https://reader036.fdocuments.us/reader036/viewer/2022062323/56815a34550346895dc773d6/html5/thumbnails/33.jpg)
MARRIAGEABILITY BENEFITS
• The belief that FGM/C is necessary to ensure better marriage prospects for a daughter is most widespread among women in Côte d’Ivoire (36 per cent), Niger (29 per cent) and Eritrea (25 per cent)
• Anthropological studies indicate that prospects for marriage and social connections through marriage are the main factors behind the persistence of FGM/C
• Changes will happen when the self-enforcing social convention nature of FGM/C will be addressed