The Practice of Female Genital Mutilation in the Paynesville Community, Liberia

Brutus Jentzen Hunder, 2023

The non-medical removal of external female genitalia, known as female genital mutilation (FGM), is a violation of the human rights of women and girls and is a harmful and invasive practice. This procedure is often done without consent or anesthesia in unsanitary conditions. Despite being illegal, FGM is still widely practiced in Liberia. This piece aims

International Journal of Women's Health, 2012

Background: Female genital mutilation (FGM) is nontherapeutic surgical modification of the female genitalia. It is an ancient tradition in large parts of Africa, including Ethiopia, especially in the eastern part of the country. This study aimed to identify the prevalence, perceptions, perpetuators, reasons for conducting FGM, and factors associated with this practice with regard to women's health. Methods: Community-based cross-sectional house-to-house interviews were conducted during 2008 among 858 females of reproductive age (15-49 years), in Kersa district, East Hararge, Oromia region, Ethiopia. Proportions and Chi-square tests were used to describe the data and logistic regression was used to describe statistical associations. Statistical significance was set at P , 0.05. Results: FGM was reported to be known by 327 (38.5%) of the interviewees. The majority (n = 249, 76.1%) reported that local healers were the main performers of FGM, and 258 (78.9%) respondents stated that the clitoris was the part removed during circumcision. The main reason for the practice of FGM was reduction of female sexual hyperactivity (reported by 198 women [60.3%]). Circumcision of daughters was reported by 288 (88.1%) respondents, and this showed a statistically significant association with the Christian religion (P = 0.003), illiteracy (P = 0.01), and Amhara ethnicity (P = 0.012). The majority of the respondents (792, 92.3%) were themselves circumcised and 68.8% did not know of any health-related problems associated with FGM. In spite of FGM being a common practice in the study area, only one third of the respondents stated that they knew about it. Local healers were the main performers of FGM. Some of the women knew about the negative reproductive health effects of FGM and some had also experienced these themselves. However, only a few had tried to stop the practice and the majority had taken no steps to do so. This may be attributable to the fear of becoming alienated from the cultural system and fear of isolation.

2020

FGM has been defined as a group of traditional practices that involve partial or total removal of the external genitalia or other injuries to female organs for cultural, religious or other nontherapeutical reasons (World Health Organization (WHO), 2016). Globally, it is estimated that 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone one form of FGM or the other with high prevalence, in Africa, South Asia and Middle East (United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), 2018; United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), 2016). It is also estimated that about 30 million girls under the age of 15 are at risk of being cut over the next decade. Since it is performed before 15 years of age and is potentially form of violence against women; since it is done often without their consent and awareness of possible complications (WHO, 2008). The practices of FGM is however not limited to developing countries as it has been reported in developed countries, although at an infinitesimal rate. For exa...

MESH-TGHN , 2017

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM/C) is described as various traditional practices that involve all procedures for partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for cultural, religious, traditional and or non- therapeutic reasons in many societies of the world (WHO, 1997, 2010). Statistics by the WHO indicates that FGM/ affects more than 130 million women globally. FGM/C has no known health benefits but severe effects on the physical, social consequences, mental and psychosocial well being of those who have undergone it and once which occurred before and after the FGM/C procedure was carried out. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM/C) is no longer a practice experienced African women only, research indicates that FGM/C has spread out beyond borders and become a global menace, brought about by the increased immigration rates towards the west. According to legislations in many countries, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM/C) is considered a criminal offence because it violates human rights, compromises the health of women and puts girls at risk of life-long complications and infections. Empowering people and communities where FGM/C is practiced with knowledge on the subject and providing them with necessary resources can hasten the fight against FGM/C and also help in eliminating the practices. This study also looks at the legislations on FGM/C and legal policies and frameworks formulated for the eradication campaigns and on the abandonment of FGM/C in Kenya. It discusses the best practices, the lessons learnt, the opportunities for the abandonment of FGM/C as well as the challenges facing the elimination of FGM/C practices in Kenya and especially among the pastoralists’ communities of Kenya. It reviews the Kenya National Policy on FGM/C, the National Plan of Action for the eradication of FGM/C and looks at the mandate of the Kenya National Anti FGM/C Board and other FGM/C Stakeholders, providing services for women and girls who are at risk of undergoing FGM/C in Kenya. This study addresses the concept of FGM/C practice as well as the different myths and beliefs that support its continuation. The study focuses on the experiences of pastoralists’ women and girls of Narok and Kajiado Counties of Kenya, who have undergone FGM/C and the ones who haven’t. Ones who have suffered the consequences of FGM/C and ones who have been rescued from the risk of FGM/C. These are women who understand their cultures best and can tell more on the practices, by looking at their flashbacks, the FGM/C procedure, consequences involved before and after FGM/C, cultural beliefs, religious views on FGM/C practices, and the human rights that violation against girls and women through forced or coercive Female Genital Mutilation. This study also investigates the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM/C) and its effects on maternal deaths prevalent among the pastoralists’ communities of Kenya. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM/C) is recognized both locally and internationally as an outdated traditional practice, which violates the rights of women/girls and one that is difficult to eradicate. Lack of education, unemployment and poverty are mentioned as some of the variables that enabled the FGM/C practices to thrive in these communities. While research indicates that there are many types of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM/C), with other unclassified types, some practicing communities in the locations where this study was conducted neither know of the either harmful nature or the consequences of any one type of FGM/C. Among these communities, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM/C) still remains a sensitive and a taboo topic to be discussed in the public. However, we all agree that the time has come for FGM/C and other harmful practices to be addressed, albeit with great concern and care on people’s feelings and culture. For this study, the Principal Investigator and the ‘Talking Trees Project’ team interviewed women from 22 small towns and villages spread across Narok and Kajiado Counties namely: Magadi, Namanga, Ngong, Kiserian, Kajiado, Kule, Narok, Jerusalem, Olkeri, Oljororok, Ntilal, Naijile Oltinga, Naadadapo, Sarara 1, Sere Olipi, Lauragi 2, Lengarde/ Leshunyai, Lenchekut, Lorian and Sionta 2, where the FGM/C was still practiced. The ‘Talking Trees Project’ which was implemented between 2016 - 2017, was organized around: Maternal healthcare, FGM/C, alternative rites of passage, women’s health, human rights, child development and early child-marriage. The ultimate goal of the programme was to mobilize indigenous pastoralists’ communities to participate in open public health debates and forums, which led to voluntary open public declarations on the abandonment of harmful traditional practices like: FGM/C and child marriage. The ‘Talking Trees Project’ brought a multidisciplinary team of experts and pastoralists communities together, to discuss and develop an understanding of the discrepancies between modern science and traditional practices that would help the researchers to understand the causes and ways through which maternal deaths prevalent among these communities could be prevented or reduced. The ‘Talking Trees Project’ also helped the project team and the researchers/scientific experts involved in compiling an inventory of existing indigenous health care training and capacity building activities relevant to the management and sharing of public health research data to the target groups, to improve research collaborations among like-minded researchers and share findings in research institutions in ways that have the potential to accelerate progress in public and or maternal health. In this regard, this publication aims to galvanize the efforts of local and international movements and campaigns to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM/C). The publication covers the ‘Talking Trees Project’s own activities, and can be shared freely and promoted among the pastoralists' communities, donors, partners and researchers, who might find it useful or thought-provoking in the context of their own work.

2012

BackgroundFemale genital mutilation (FGM) is nontherapeutic surgical modification of the female genitalia. It is an ancient tradition in large parts of Africa, including Ethiopia, especially in the eastern part of the country. This study aimed to identify the prevalence, perceptions, perpetuators, reasons for conducting FGM, and factors associated with this practice with regard to women’s health.MethodsCommunity-based cross-sectional house-to-house interviews were conducted during 2008 among 858 females of reproductive age (15–49 years), in Kersa district, East Hararge, Oromia region, Ethiopia. Proportions and Chi-square tests were used to describe the data and logistic regression was used to describe statistical associations. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05.ResultsFGM was reported to be known by 327 (38.5%) of the interviewees. The majority (n = 249, 76.1%) reported that local healers were the main performers of FGM, and 258 (78.9%) respondents stated that the clitoris was the part removed during circumcision. The main reason for the practice of FGM was reduction of female sexual hyperactivity (reported by 198 women [60.3%]). Circumcision of daughters was reported by 288 (88.1%) respondents, and this showed a statistically significant association with the Christian religion (P = 0.003), illiteracy (P = 0.01), and Amhara ethnicity (P = 0.012). The majority of the respondents (792, 92.3%) were themselves circumcised and 68.8% did not know of any health-related problems associated with FGM.ConclusionIn spite of FGM being a common practice in the study area, only one third of the respondents stated that they knew about it. Local healers were the main performers of FGM. Some of the women knew about the negative reproductive health effects of FGM and some had also experienced these themselves. However, only a few had tried to stop the practice and the majority had taken no steps to do so. This may be attributable to the fear of becoming alienated from the cultural system and fear of isolation.

African Scholars Multidisciplinary Journal , 2023

In most societies where female genital mutilation is practiced and perceived as a cultural tradition which is continuous practice had often debated. The objective of this study is to investigate the sociocultural determinants of female genital mutilation among the people of Kwara South Senatorial District, in Kwara State, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive research design by employing quantitative method. The study made use of questionnaire to gather information from respondents. One hundred and eighty-eight (188) respondents were selected for this study using multistage sampling techniques. The first stage employed a simple random sampling in which three (3) Local Government Areas (LGAs) were selected out of the seven (7) LGAs in the Districts. The second stage adopted a purposive sampling in selecting one urban and one rural areas from each LGAs. Lastly, the study adopted a quota sampling technique, in which questionnaires was distributed to the areas based on their population, and were analyzed and presented as frequency percentage. Findings from the study revealed that majority with 56.3% respondents disagreed that the female genital mutilation practice was as a result of religious rite of purification. About 56.4% majority of the respondents affirmed that poverty/poor living standard do not determine the practice of female genital mutilation. More than half of the total respondents (56.9%) attest to the fact that the practice does not control sexual desire. Also, 62.7% confirmed that the practice is based on cultural believe and indigenous value system. The study further revealed that 53.7% respondents disagreed that illiteracy/insufficient education background do not contribute to the practice of female genital mutilation. Based on this, the study concluded that female genital mutilation is deeply rooted in the cultural system. Therefore, it is recommended that government should empower women and increase awareness about the complications of female genital mutilation, innovative and culturally adapted strategies policies for reorientation and changing behavior, and stakeholders should work with and not against cultural and community practices and beliefs.

Annals of medical and health sciences research, 2011

Female genital mutilation is known to exist especially in many third world countries including Nigeria with many women being victims of this harmful practice and its complications. The practice is rife in Southeast Nigeria and efforts have been made to discourage it. To determine women&#39;s views on aspects of female genital mutilation and the prevalence among the study population. Women attending the antenatal clinics of two university teaching hospitals in Southeast Nigeria were interviewed by means of structured pre-tested interviewer- administered questionnaires. The data obtained were analysed using SPSS version 10.0 and the results expressed in descriptive statistics as percentages. The prevalence of FGM was 42.1%. However, only 14.3% of the respondents circumcised their own daughters or showed willingness to circumcise their daughters indicating considerable reduction in uptake of the practice. A larger proportion (63.7%) would support legislation against FGM. There is a hig...

2021

According to the World Health Organization, there are some cultural, historical and religious reasons underlying the practice in the regions where FGM is practiced. But, the discussions about the application mostly belong to the last years. The application takes place by removing the external genitalia of women partially or completely from these parts for religious, cultural and even therapeutic reasons. Although there are cultural and religious reasons behind female genital mutilation, the practice can significantly harm women, causing complications such as widespread infection, infertility, and increasing the chances of spreading diseases such as HIV-Aids. The tradition gained public notoriety, particularly with the popularization of a related story about African rituals in which FGM was challenged as a form of women's rights violence. From an anthropological perspective, probably the biggest complication in the custom of FGM is the belief, defense, and practice of the phenomenon by a large proportion of women. In this study, female circumcision is examined with an anthropological approach by making a literature review.

International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 2001

Objective: To investigate the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM), among young and old parents. Methods: One hundred and twenty young parents and grandparents in a rural area in central Sudan were randomly selected for interviews carried out according to structured questionnaires with open answer possibilities. Results: All female respondents had undergone FGM. Of the young respondents, 44% had decided not to let their daughters undergo FGM. Young fathers were more involved in the decision process than previously known, especially when decisions were taken not to perform FGM. Tradition and social pressure were the main motives for performing FGM. Sexuality was an important aspect, mentioned both as motives for and against FGM. Religious belief and education level significantly affected to what extent FGM was practiced. Conclusion: This is the first community based study of FGM indicating a significant shift in practice between generations, young parents starting to question the value of FGM.

Journal of Medicine, Nursing &amp; Public Health

Female Genital Mutilation refers to the procedures alter or cause injury to the female genital organs in the form of circumcision or clitoridectomy for no known medical reasons. This study aimed to determine the factors that influence the persistent practice of Female Genital Mutilation in Kenya, a case study of Tigania East Sub-county, Meru County. This was done by determining the contribution of the cultural practices to the persistent practice of FGM, determining the influence of environmental factors to the practice of FGM, assessing the contribution of agencies towards the persistent practice of FGM, and determining the influence of awareness on the practice of FGM in the study area. The study employed the cross-sectional research design and used a sample size of 384 study participants. This study used both stratified random and purposive sampling to identify the participants. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection were used in the study, with the use of q...