Gender-based harmful traditional practices (HTP) are prevalent in many countries across the world and have a severely negative impact on the physical and psychological health of women and girls. This thesis informs understanding of the factors that both perpetuate and inhibit resistance to HTPs. It further provides understanding of the psychological impact of female genital mutilation (FGM) informing both clinical and policy action. Chapter one is a critical review of both quantitative and qualitative literature exploring factors that perpetuate and facilitate resistance to HTPs. Following both database and manual searches, 21 studies were included and reviewed. Women who had experienced or carried out harmful traditional practices of son preference, FGM or child marriage, relate educational status, residential location, economic status, and family history of practising FGM as sociological facets that perpetuate HTPs. Negative health implications and female autonomy are considered factors that facilitated resistance to HTPs, and religion, tradition and patriarchy serve as control mechanisms that inhibit resistance to HTPs. Chapter two is a qualitative research study that explores women survivors’ experiences of FGM and the resultant psychological impact. The development of a theoretical model shows women related lack of knowledge, female identity, religion, culture, role of men, and deception as reasons for the practice of FGM. Experiencing FGM impacted on the physical, identity, emotional, and relational aspects of women’s lives. All of these factors, in addition to women’s resilience, were influenced by key stages of their life including menstruation, sexual intimacy, and having a child, as well as by fear and unmet needs due to insufficient service provision. Chapter three is a reflective account, exploring the challenges encountered throughout the research process, as well as reflecting on issues of counter-transference between the researcher and the participants, their impact, and their management.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:714883 |
| Date | January 2016 |
| Creators | Glover, Jennifer |
| Publisher | University of Warwick |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/88049/ |
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