Female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C), a common practice among Sierra Leonean women, carries significant psychological and physical risks. Prior to this study, a substantial need existed for inquiry of the experiences and belief systems within this cultural group to better understand the effects of FGM/C on women and girls. Guided by feminist theory and the theory of cultural relativism, the goal of this phenomenological study was to review the cultural perspectives and experiences of Sierra Leonean women who underwent FGM/C to investigate their concerns about safety and their perceptions of the practices. In addition, this study explored concerns among Sierra Leonean women about the procedure performed on their daughters and to what they attributed the continued practice of FGM/C. Participants included a purposeful sample of 12 women from Sierra Leone who had experienced FGM/C. Data were collected via in-person, semi-structured interviews and analyzed thematically. Analysis revealed differences in participant definitions of FGM/C, cultural and social aspects of the procedure, personal beliefs and perceptions of the procedures. Results provide new understandings to help health and human rights organizations implement proactive safety measures for these women and girls. Positive social change from this investigation may occur via proper education about FGM/C. Goals include helping women understand the risks associated with the practice and to make their own informed decisions regarding the procedure. Findings revealed that a powerful strategy for protecting women's health and well-being related to FGM/C may be through education on the facts of the procedure.

The aim of the study was to examine how advocacy workers from different governmental and non-governmental organisations work with female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and gender equality in The Gambia. We further examined their experienced difficulties and the provided support to women exposed to FGM/C. The study was based on field observations of events, meetings and educational events, as well as semi-structured and open-ended interviews with ten participants. Through a thematic analysis, findings show that counselling were the main form of support, and the most experienced difficulties was the male dominance, the cultural belief and the culture of silence. Education, traditional forums and advocacy where therefore used as informative tools regarding gender roles, power positions and the harmfulness of FGM/C. Thus, findings confirm the importance of the continuous work with the gender roles, the social exclusion of the unmutilated women and the gatekeeping roles hindering the abandonment of the harmful practice.

This research examines the practice of Female Genital Mutilation/Circumcision (FGM/C) as a social phenomenon in Singida Region, Tanzania. The aim is to contribute to a deepened cultural anthropological understanding of the function and meaning behind the practice in Singida, and how it reacts to external factors of change, such as human rights-based laws and projects aiming to eradicate FGM/C. This was done by conducting an ethnographic field study, with the help of staff members from the Christian Council of Tanzania (CCT). Through the theoretical framework, aiming to grasp the complexity of FGM/C, aspects such as visible and invisible violence, patriarchal structures, social schemes, anomalies, change and rites, were analyzed on the collected material consisting of semi-structured interviews and participatory observations. From the conducted analysis, it was shown that FGM/C was a deeply imbedded cultural practice which purpose is to (1) enable women to consolidate to womanhood and ensure a full membership in society and (2) cure girls from a disease known as lawalawa. This is because the clitoris is believed to be connected to diseases and to enhance the risk of abnormal behavior that does not belong to womanhood. The thesis shows how lawalawa was fabricated as a reaction towards the ban on FGM/C in Tanzania and how it was used to (unknowingly or knowingly) justify the continuance of the practice. It was also showed that members of societies who engage in FGM/C, are likely to avoid abandoning FGM/C if possible, however change is achievable if it is implemented in a sensitive way with knowledge on local reaction towards external factors of change.

Despite many international and local attempts to end the practice of FGM/C, this practice continues to flourish in Nigeria and thus has a negative impact on the lives of girls and women on a daily basis. Furthermore, female genital mutilation is a serious form of violence against girls, women, and children that must be abolished worldwide. This study primarily sought to understand the sociocultural factors that influence the mothers' attitudes towards the continuation of FGM/C in Nigeria. The study used the theory of planned behaviour developed by Ajzen which proposes three distinct constructs as drivers of intention. This theory was deemed to be suitable for the study since sociocultural factors that contribute to the continuation of FGM in relation to mothers’ attitudes toward the practice can be interpreted or linked to the determinants of intention. In addition, this study used secondary data analysis and relied largely on reliable secondary sources.

Background Female genital cutting (FGC) is a persistent issue of global concern that carries various healthrisks on women and girls. FGC is almost universal in Egypt and despite continuous efforts, the decline of the practice is unsatisfactory. Maternal education is considered an important determinant of FGC among young girls, and it was suggested as a key intervention to promote the abandonment of this practice. This study aimed at investigating the association between the educational level of the mother and female genital cutting among young girls aged 1-14 years in Egypt. Methods This study is an analysis of secondary cross-sectional data extracted from the 2014 Egypt Demographic and Health Survey. The study sample involved 17,573 women of childbearing age. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to assess the association between the maternal level of education and daughter FGC. This study also examined other background characteristics of the mother for association with daughter FGC. Results Of the 17,573 ever-married women, 54% had daughter FGC. Multivariate logistic regression showed that maternal education was negatively associated with daughter FGC. Mothers with primary, secondary, and higher educational levels had lower odds of daughter FGC compared to uneducated mothers. The study also showed that wealthier mothers were less likely to have daughter FGC, while mothers who were circumcised had higher odds of daughter FGC. Conclusion This study revealed that maternal educational level, among other factors was associated with female genital cutting among girls aged 1-14 years in Egypt.

Mondialement, plus de 200 millions de femmes et de filles vivent avec une mutilation génitale féminine/excision (MGF/E) (OMS, 2016). Les mouvements d’immigration impliquent la présence d'un nombre grandissant de femmes et de filles de pays où les MGF/E sont pratiqués dans des pays où le personnel médical et infirmier se doit de se questionner sur la façon d’aborder ce sujet d'une manière sensible et respectueuse ainsi que d'élaborer et de mettre en place des actions et lignes directrices pour assurer un suivi. Le but du mémoire-practicum est de circonscrire les pratiques médicales et infirmières, en contexte obstétrical d’un CHU, dans une perspective d’identification et d’assurer un suivi auprès de femmes ayant vécu une MGF/E. Les éléments clés concernant l’identification de la présence d’une MGF/E et d’assurer un suivi de qualité proposés dans le modèle d’Evans et al. (2019) ont servi d’assise pour ce mémoire-practicum. Une recension des écrits sur la scène internationale (n=30) ainsi qu'une revue de dossiers médicaux (n=46) ont fait émerger la difficulté de documenter cette pratique. Plus spécifiquement, des limites dans les dossiers médicaux étaient évidentes quant aux mentions concernant l’identification de la présence d’une MGF/E chez une femme d’une part et pour assurer un suivi adapté aux besoins, en contexte obstétrical, d’autre part. Les résultats confirment un besoin de formation spécifique aux expériences vécues par les femmes ainsi que l’élaboration de protocoles de soins pour soutenir la pratique médicale et infirmière et permettre une collaboration intersectorielle, notamment auprès d’organismes communautaires (Evans et al., 2019). / Globally, more than 200 million women and girls are living with female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) (WHO, 2016). Immigration movements involve the presence of increasing numbers of women and girls from countries where FGM/C is practiced in countries where medical and nursing personnel need to reflect upon how to address this topic in a sensitive and respectful manner as well as develop and implement actions and guidelines for follow-up. The purpose of this report is to describe medical and nursing practices in the obstetrical context of a university hospital to identify and provide a follow up to women who have undergone FGM/C. The key elements of identifying the presence of FGM/C and ensuring quality follow-up proposed in the Evans et al. (2019) model inspired the work throughout in this report. An international literature review (n=30) as well as a medical record review (n=46) highlighted the difficulty of documenting this practice. More specifically, limitations in the medical records were evident with respect to the identification of the presence of FGM/C on the one hand, as well as ensuring coherent and sensitive follow-up in an obstetrical context, on the other. The results confirm a need for more training specific to women's experiences as well as the development of care protocols to support medical and nursing practice (Evans et al., 2019). The contribution of intersectoral collaboration, namely community-based organizations was highlighted.