Caroline Mwangi, PhD Candidate NLS https://www.ntu.ac.uk/study-and-courses/courses/our-students-stories/law/caroline-wangui-mwangi
Understanding the social, cultural, and political contexts in which Female Genital Mutilation persists is an indispensable step towards devising effective strategies to eliminate this harmful practice. In June 2023, I had the opportunity to organise a significant conference on FGM where these complexities were explored. With the support of the Strategic Research Fund from Nottingham Law School, I coordinated the conference in partnership with the Mojatu Foundation under the theme ‘Accelerating Investment and Abandonment to End Female Genital Mutilation.’
The conference, held at the Marcus Garvey Ballroom brought together over 80 delegates from diverse backgrounds. This included local authorities, health, and educational specialists, FGM campaigners, survivors, religious leaders, and students. This platform served as a melting pot of ideas and experiences, enabling delegates to share their knowledge, and work together to come up with effective strategies to combat FGM. The timing of the conference was strategically coordinated to coincide with Refugee Week, a period dedicated to raising awareness about the experiences and contributions of refugees, to shed light on the grim reality that women and girls from FGM-practising communities continue to face the risk of FGM, not only in the UK but also abroad.
FGM is a grave form of gender-based violence that severely violates the rights of girls and women and detrimentally affects their health, education, and socioeconomic opportunities. It poses various health risks including chronic pain, haemorrhage, infections, difficulties in sexual and reproductive health and psychological trauma. Additionally, it is a contributing factor to poor school attendance and high dropout rates. In some practising communities, it is seen as a prerequisite for marriage and is believed to enhance the chances of marriage for circumcised girls. Consequently, this becomes a barrier to their education. The limited education of girls leads to economic disadvantages as many of them face difficulties in finding employment or developing skills to create a sustainable livelihood. This perpetuates a cycle of poverty and inequality.
According to United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), approximately 4.3 million girls and women are at risk of FGM, a figure projected to increase to 4.6 million by 2030. In view of this, the conference underscored the alarming prevalence of FGM globally, and emphasised the need for global solutions. Culture was identified as a significant perpetuating factor, reinforcing patriarchal dominance and control over women, with the practice being exacerbated by factors such as medicalisation of FGM. Medicalisation of FGM refers to instances where FGM procedures are performed by health professionals whether in public, private, at home or elsewhere. This also includes re-suturing after delivery. This trend alongside other shifting dynamics of the practice, presents unique challenges. These include the lack of clear policies and protocols for health professionals addressing FGM in most countries where the practice is prevalent. Further, there is a dangerous misconception that FGM is safe when performed by health professionals.
In addition to highlighting the problems, the conference also discussed potential solutions to address the physical and psychological consequences of FGM. This included the necessity for reconstructive surgeries for survivors and provision of psychological support. The discussions further stressed the importance of involving men in the fight against FGM and building positive relational connections with partners to support survivors. The delegates unanimously agreed on the significance of sustained investment, collaboration amongst all stakeholders, and the importance of technological innovations that can be leveraged to raise awareness, provide educational resources, and connect women or girls at risk and survivors with support networks.An example of a groundbreaking technological innovation is the V4D, an integrated solar powered computer and online platform being utilised by LastMile4D to eradicate FGM in Kenya. V4D captures real time data of girls at risk of being cut and enables field workers to periodically monitor, gather and transmit this information immediately.
The conference concluded on a hopeful note, suggesting that future strategies to tackle FGM should embrace a holistic, intersectional approach, guided by the values, beliefs, and perceptions of FGM practising communities. This includes engaging FGM practising communities through culturally sensitive and inclusive approaches and adopting survivor-centred strategies. This perspective affirms that the development of the best practices to address FGM should be guided by the perspectives of the affected communities rather than the dominant activist groups. It also highlights the importance of examining the political, social, and cultural environments of these communities to address the social constructions of intersecting societal issues like race, class, religion, and gender, which are unbalanced in social relationships.
Therefore, the main conclusion from the conference buttressed the assertions that interventions should take the form of community-focused initiatives that empower individuals to make healthier choices, challenge the core motivations for carrying out FGM, and contribute towards eradicating this harmful practice. The use of this approach, based on collective participation and action, will help challenge the cultural underpinnings of FGM in practising communities, paving the way for a future free of FGM.
Further Reading
Ali, S., de Viggiani, N., Abzhaparova, A. et al. Exploring young people’s interpretations of female genital mutilation in the UK using a community-based participatory research approach. BMC Public Health 20, 1132 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09183-6
Joint Statement by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem and UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell on the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, ‘World Will Miss Target of Ending FGM by 2030 without Urgent Action including from Men and Boys’ https://shorturl.at/uyHV5
Joseph C. Pesambili & Kitila A. K. Mkumbo, ‘Implications of female genital mutilation on girls’ education and psychological wellbeing in Tarime, Tanzania,’ (2018) 21:8 Journal of Youth Studies 1111. DOI: 10.1080/13676261.2018.1450969
Harrison M, Frech S, Hassanzadegan M, Kuodi P, Anderson, E J, Marlow H, Izugbara C, ‘Technology and Community Empowered Programming to Eliminate FGM: Promising Findings from a Program in Kuria Kenya 'Washington DC: LastMile4D https://www.lastmile4d.org/sources/FGM/FGM-Statistics-V8.pdf
Manchester Support Refugee Network. What is Refugee Week. 2020. https://mrsn.org.uk/what-is-refugee-week/
Mojatu Foundation Team & Mwangi C, ‘Accelerating Investment and Abandonment to End Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) FGM Conference Report’ (2023) https://shorturl.at/qtBHL
Proudman C. To end FGM, the UK must protect girls everywhere, not just in this country. The Guardian Newspaper, (Tue 1 Mar 2022 08:30 GMT) https://shorturl.at/mxF56
Proudman C. FGM Asylum Claims. Counsel Magazine (24th June 2019) https://www.counselmagazine.co.uk/articles/fgm-asylum-claims
WHO (World Health Organisation), ‘Global strategy to stop health-care providers from performing female genital mutilation’ (2010) https://shorturl.at/cdjSZ
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