Download FGM is existed in 28 countries around the world and between the

World Congress of Global Partnership for Young Women 2014
Topic
Eliminating FGM through Education and Systematic Awareness
Prepared by:
Hossam Soltan
Nahideh Faiaz
Jessica
August 2014
ABSTRACT
Education is the most fundamental need for enhancing capacity building and
empowering women and girls. Lack of women’s capacity building to develop their
confidence and improve their participation in education systems is one of the primary
reasons behind increasing rate of gender-based violence. In many communities, people
do not value women’s right to education, employment, and their economic self-reliance.
Furthermore, there are ethnic traditions and cultural belief practices that prevent women
from education opportunities.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is considered as a kind of the violence against
women, because it is harmful for women. It occurs in many dangerous health issues for
women. This paper is most focused on the importance of tackling the current
phenomenon to be revoked through integrating FGM awareness in existing education
system.
Introduction
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is one of the most heinous crimes against
women’s human rights in modern day history. FGM exists around 28 countries, between
100 to 140 million girls undergone FGM in the world according to the World Health
Organization 'WHO' statistics. The statistics about Africa highlighted an amount of 101
million girls, who ages 10 years and more, undergo FGM.1
DHS and MICS classify the countries having FGM into three groups; the first
includes those countries whose FGM rates are 80% or more, while the second includes
countries whose FGM rates within the range 25% - 79% and the third is for countries
less than 24%. 2
Egypt is classified in the first group; according to DHS, around 97% of women in
Egypt aged between 15-49 years undergo FGM. FGM rate differs in Egypt according to
region, lifestyle, and education levels.3 Around 62% of FGM surgeries in Egypt are done
by Dayas “traditional birth attendants”; the majority of those Dayas is not specialist and
as well not educated. They just get their experience from trails on people. According to
EDHS, 68% of ever-married women aged between 15-45 think that FGM should
continue, and 54% of women believe that men support FGM to be continued. Supporting
FGM differs from urban to rural areas; Women in the urban areas are less likely to
support it comparing with women in rural areas. The women who undergo FGM are
more likely to support it comparing with the women who did not.4
World Health Organization (WHO). “Female genital mutilation and other harmful practices.”
http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/fgm/prevalence/en/ (accessed June 10, 2014).
2
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). “Female genital mutilation/cutting; a statistical
exploration,” (The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 2005),
http://www.unicef.org/publications/files/FGM-C_final_10_October.pdf.
3
Ibid., 5.
4
ELhawary, Soad. Violence against women in Egypt. Aguascalientes: United Nations Statistical
Commission, 2009, http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/meetings/vaw/docs/Paper2.pdf.
1
FGM Procedures can cause severe bleeding and urinating problems, and later cysts,
infections, infertility as well as complications in childbirth increased risk of newborn
deaths. The reasons behind undergoing FGM are tradition aspects, cleanliness, religious
requirements, and virginity protection as well.5
Therefore, this paper finds the importance of tackling the current phenomenon to
be revoked through integrating FGM awareness in existing education system. Gender and
health subjects in academic curriculum with focus on FGM and other harmful practices
on women’s body should be started in the basic schools. Gender equality courses should
include information and awareness about FGM for children in all stages of schooling.
This policy would help to eliminate FGM among future generations.
Moreover, there should be systematic awareness in order to treat the phenomenon
in different areas in the country through campaigns and education for women and girls'
equal participation in education, involving various stakeholders groups such as religious
leaders etc.
It is crucial as well for the ministry to help local schools and universities to
network with well-known universities and schools in gender advanced countries in order
to update teaching methodologies should be encouraged. Moreover, setting up more
schools, universities and vocational training centers especially in rural areas where people
lack the benefits of education system is crucial. Eventually, it is important that
government and international communities allocate substantial budget on women and
girls education and encourage rural community to send their children to schools.
Why FGM is Gender Based Violence
Gender-based violence is a major human rights, social and public health problem
throughout the world. Gender-based violence refers to all forms of violence that happen
to women and men because of the unequal power relations between them. Gender-based
violence in most cases is systematically directed at women, because women have less
power and status in most parts of the world due to the prevalence and history of
patriarchal societies, making women generally more vulnerable to acts of violence.
However, violence against women continues to be the reality of women’s lives even
today.
It is an endemic problem that knows no national boundaries, no cultural
boundaries, no class or caste boundaries and no religious boundaries. Violence against
women continues to be perpetrated by men, by women, by trans-national actors and by
the state. It continues unabated in situations of armed conflict and in times of peace. It
continues to takes place outside and inside the home.
Partners for Prevention (P4P) – UNDP, UNFPA, UN Women and UNV regional
programme for Asia and the Pacific – is working in the region to prevent violence or stop
violence before it starts. Primary prevention is an essential part of a comprehensive
response to violence, and P4P knows more about what is promising to prevent violence in
different settings. P4P helps to collect this knowledge and communicate it to practitioners
and decision-makers throughout the region. One of P4P’s focus areas is to build the
World Health Organization (WHO). “Female genital mutilation.”
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs241/en/ (accessed June 19, 2014).
5
capacity of civil society, UN and government practitioners to understand violence and its
prevention and to implement effective responses.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is considered as kind of the violence against women,
because it is harmful for women. It occurs many dangerous health issues for women for
short and long terms. Circumcision increases the risk of psychological trauma and mother
and infant mortality.
FGM and its short and long terms effects classified by WHO
Short term effects:
“1. Immediate complications
While anecdotal evidence is frequently mentioned, no study has ever been undertaken to
determine the proportion of female child mortality that is attributable to FGM. Death can
result from severe bleeding (haemorrhagic shock), by pain and trauma (neutrogenic
shock) or by serious infection (septicaemia).
2. Short-term complications
- Pain. Most genital mutilations are practiced without anaesthesia and cause severe pain.
Lesions to the tissue surrounding the urethra, vagina, perineum and rectum can occur due
to the use of rudimentary tools, poor lightening, operator’s defective sight or lack of
expertise.
- Haemorrhage. The excision of the clitoris causes the cut of the clitoral artery which has
a strong flow and high pressure.
- Shock. Immediately after the procedure, the girl may develop shock as a result of the
sudden blood loss (hemorrhagic shock) and severe pain and trauma (neurogenic shock),
which can be fatal.
- Tetanus can occur due to the use of unsterilized equipment and the lack of tetanus
toxoid injection.
- Acute urine retention can result from swelling and inflammation around the wound, the
girl’s fear of the pain of passing urine on the raw wound, or injury to the urethra.
- Fracture or dislocation. Fractures of the clavicle, femur, or humerus, or dislocation of
the hip joint, can occur if heavy pressure is applied to the struggling girl during the
operation.
- Infection is the most common consequence for obvious reasons: unhygienic conditions,
use of unsterilized instruments, rubbing of herbs or ashes on the wounds, creating the
right environment for the development of bacteria.
- Failure to heal. The wounds may fail to heal quickly because of infection, irritation
from urine or rubbing when walking, or an underlying condition, such as anaemia or
malnutrition (WHO 2010).
Long term effects:
Long-term complications
- Difficulty in passing urine can occur due to damage to the urethral opening or scarring
of the meatus.
- Recurrent urinary tract infection. Infection near the urethra can result in ascending
urinary tract infections.
- Pelvic infections are common in infibulated women.
- Infertility can result if pelvic infection causes irreparable damage to the reproductive
organs.
- Keloid scar. Slow and incomplete healing of the wound and postoperative infection can
lead to the production of excess connective tissue in the scar.
- Abscess. Deep infection resulting from faulty healing or an embedded stitch can result
in the formation of an abscess, which may require surgical incision.
- Cysts and abscesses on the vulva. Implantation dermoid cysts are the most common
complications of infibulation.
- Clitoral neuroma. A painful neuroma can develop as a consequence of trapping of the
clitoral nerve in a stitch or in the scar tissue of the healed wound, leading to
hypersensitivity and dyspareunia.
- Difficulties in menstruation can occur as a result of partial or total occlusion of the
vaginal opening. Calculus formation in the vagina can occur as a result of the
accumulation of menstrual debris and urinary deposits in the vagina or in the space
behind the bridge of scar tissue formed after infibulation.
- Fistulae (holes or tunnels) between the bladder and the vagina (vesicovaginal) and
between the rectum and vagina (rectovaginal) can form as a result of injury during
mutilation, de-infibulation, or re-infibulation, sexual intercourse, or obstructed labor.
- Development of a “false vagina” is possible in infibulated women if, during repeated
sexual intercourse, the scar tissue fails to dilate sufficiently to allow normal penetration.
- Dyspareunia is a consequence of many forms of FGM because of scarring, reduced
vaginal opening, and complications such as infection.
- Sexual dysfunction can result in both partners because of painful intercourse, difficulty
in vaginal penetration, and reduced sexual sensitivity following clitoridectomy.
- Difficulties in providing gynaecologic care. The scarring resulting from type III
mutilation may reduce the vaginal opening to such an extent that an adequate
gynaecologic examination cannot be performed without cutting.
- Problems in pregnancy and childbirth are common, particularly following type III
mutilation, because the tough scar tissue that forms causes partial or total occlusion of the
vaginal opening and prevents dilation of the birth canal.” (WHO 2010).
Four Major Types of FGM
According to Women Health Organization, Female genital mutilation is classified into
four major types:
1- Clitoridectomy: partial or total removal of the clitoris (a small, sensitive and erectile
part of the female genitals) and, in very rare cases, only the prepuce (the fold of skin
surrounding the clitoris).
2- Excision: partial or total removal of the clitoris and the labia minora, with or without
excision of the labia majora (the labia are "the lips" that surround the vagina).
3- Infibulation: narrowing of the vaginal opening through the creation of a covering seal.
The seal is formed by cutting and repositioning the inner, or outer, labia, with or without
removal of the clitoris.
4- Other: all other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes,
e.g. pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterizing the genital area.
Why People Practice FGM
To find solution for any problem we have to start from the reasons of that
problem. According to different survies delivered by many organizations, the reasons of
FGM are:
1Tradition: FGM has been known since the Pharanic period in Egypt, and it has
been spread in other African countries and therefore to the rest of the world. It is really
very deep traditional culture in the African societies. More than 58% of people, who were
surveyed, said that they practices FGM because it is a good tradition.
2Cleanliness: People think that women have undergone FGM are much cleaner
than others who have not. 35% of people were surveyed practice FGM for this reason.
3Religious requirement: Many people think that FGM is required by Islam and
Christianity. Both Muslims and Christians practice FGM for religious reason. 30% of the
people were surveyed believe that FGM is a religious requirement.
4Preservation of virginity: so many people think that FGM is very good for
decreasing the sexual desire for the women so she can preserve her virginity until she
gets marriage. According to both Muslims and Christians’ beliefs in the conservative
countries in Africa and Asia, sexual relationship out the marriage is prohibited, so
preserving virginity is necessary.
5Better marriage prospects and enhancement of male sexual pleasure: Around 5%
of men reject to marry from a woman has not undergone FGM. They do not trust to
marry from women have not undergone FGM. Men believe that women have not been
undergone FGM are more likely to have sexual relationship with others rather than him.
In other hand, men also think that FGM enhance their sexual pleasure so if he marries
from a woman has undergone FGM, he thinks that he is more likely to enjoy with her.
6Some people think that FGM is important for fertility and it makes the procedures
of getting birth much easier and secured.
7People think that FGM is necessary for girls to grow up and if she is not
circumcised, she will grow up slowly.
8Some people think that if they do not circumcise women, the female’s vagina will
grow up and become similar to male’s penis and it will look ugly.
The relationship between Religions and FGM
Religion comes as the third reason behind FGM practicing according to the
survey. More than 30% of people practice FGM for religious reasons. In the Islamic
prospective, there are two views; the first one says that FGM is a part of Islam and it is an
Islamic requirement. The second view says that FGM is not part of Islam and it is
prohibited by Islam and because of those two views many people get confused.
After searching and analyzing both the two Islamic views and the Christianity view, the
paper reached to these results:
1The official and the main Islamic association is Egypt “Dar-Al-Iftaa” says that
FGM is prohibited in Islam, because it is against sharia law and women rights. Sharia law
protects children and women’s rights.
2The head of Al-Azhar, the biggest and oldest Islamic university and association in
Islamic world, said that FGM is prohibited in Islam.
3The scholars support FGM are not officials scholars and they are not qualified
enough to say an opinion in these kinds of issues according to the Islamic standards.
4Some Muslims countries are considered much conservative such as Saudi Arabic,
Afghanistan Pakistan and Iran have a very low percentages of FGM coparing with the
FGM focused countries.
5FGM goes back to Pharonic period in Egypt, which means it has been existed for
thousands years before Christianity and Islam appeared. It gives evidence that FGM
practice is not related to religions.
6Many Christians think that FGM is related to their religion according to the old
text of their holly book.
7The Egyptian Christian’s scholars, Anba-Mosa, said that FGM does not have any
relationship with Christianity and it is not mentioned at all in the bible. Anba-Mosa
proved that the link between FGM and Christianity is just misunderstanding from
majority of Christians in Egypt and African countries.
FGM and Current Situation
For many years the governments have announced so many policies for
eliminating FGM practicing but they could not achieve their target for these reason:
Most of the countries practice FGM are not democratic countries so usually people do not
trust whatever comes from the government. Absence of rule of law in these countries
create problem of the feasibility of issuing the laws against FGM. Almost all these
countries have laws against FGM and all kinds of violence against women but people still
practice it because of absence of rule of law and the undemocratic governments.
To effect on people in these kinds of environments, the policies must come from
down. It means people should participate in the discussing about FGM issue and they
should be convinced that FGM should not be existed. The NGOs civil society and
community leaders should be there in preparing and implementing the policies.
The governments' policies have focused on issuing laws without thinking about
how they can apply these laws, which created conflicts between people and governments.
In the future policies, the governments should consider these points;
- The policy should not focus only on the issuing laws but it should focus on
changing the people mentality through education, civil society, NGOs,
campaigning, media and community and religious leaders.
- People should participate in the all the levels of discussing, issuing and
implementing the relevant laws.
- Women empowerment and development is the main key for developing the
society and eliminate FGM.
- One of the main reasons behind the low location of the developing countries in
the international HDI list is the too bad condition of the women life and
environment.
- The low level of civic engagement for women in the societies in the development
countries makes them too vulnerable to speak out about their issues and raise their
voice against all kinds of violence including FGM.
- The absence of the media covering for these issues to avoid conflicting with the
dictator governments.
- The governments’ policies should include men in the implementing them; usually
men lead the families because most of the times men are the breadwinners so they
have the capacity to effect on whole the family. Convincing men in the
developing countries is very important to change the behavior of whole the
society especially in the marginalized areas.
- Considering the illiteracy rates and establishing strategies to eliminate them
would have a positive impact on the FGM percentages in the societies. In other
hand policies should focus on improving the professional skills for women as
well.
- It may cause dangerous consequences if the government copied other countries’
policies and apply them in its own country without considering the special
culture, tradition, and customs of their people. In Egypt as example, establishing
the Khula law (separation sought by wife) has resulted increasing of the flinching
on marriage.
- The education is an economic problem; many poor families only enroll their male
kids in the school because they do not have enough money to spend for all their
kids. Eliminating poverty should be considered while planning for eliminating
FGM or empowerment women in general.
- Creating a working map for the country to and coordinating with the local NGOs
in each part of the country to evaluate and monitor the policy and divide the tasks
according to the needs of whole the country.
- The governments’ policies should include both rural and urban areas in order to
impact whole the country.
- The NGOs should be required to allocate a percentage of their programs to
develop women and eliminate all kinds of violence against women including
FGM.
- The state should establish annual conferences with whole the relevant bodies
including civil society, NGOs, institutions, researchers and community leaders to
revise the yearly achievements and evaluate the whole processes.
Policy Recommendation:
1. Involving women in education system is an effective way in Eliminating Violence
against Women (EVAW)
Literacy and lack of education for both men and women is the main factor for high rate of
gender disparities. Lack of awareness about women rights, absence of respect for women
as human, negative lifestyle and social behavior are the factors which are raised because
of lack of education and widespread illiteracy. So it is demonstrated that less educated
people are more likely to have this harmful practice. In another hand including awareness
of students in schools can be another effective way for informing them about the harmful
result and preventing of this practice in the future.
Component
Adopting affirmative policies or programs in countries which women are
more under FGM can be effective way and increase opportunities for women to
be empowered. FGM is mostly practicing among illiterate and traditional
community so considering women in education scholarship, can be effective on
women empowerment and awareness rising.
Organizing Idea exchange, fellowship programs and global conference on
women's right and EVAW would have a good impact on improving women's
accessibility to justice.
Strengthen the linkage and network with well-known universities or
schools around the world in order to address development goals in particular
eliminating of violence against women.
Integrate more budget on establishing schools, universities and vocational
training centers especially in rural areas, where people lack the benefits of
education system.
2. Role of law
Some countries have enacted laws that specifically prohibit FGM. Others have no
specific laws, but existing general provisions of criminal codes may be applied to FGM.
And, some have no laws at all.
Egypt has done very good work according to prohibit the FGM by low, but the issue is
the activating of the law, so government should try to take action to activate the law.
In the case of Egypt and according to clause 241-242 in the criminal law “The doctor
who does FGM surgery must be jailed for a period of 3 years and the girl’s father or
responsible should be punished also”
Clause 126 says that the FGM is prohibited” (Criminal Law, Egyptian Law).
3. Improve women's accessibility to legal help services
Many of women those who are under FGM are living in isolation which is a
fertile ground for domestic abuse. Immediate access to information, advice, consoling
and support is one of the most essential responses to women experiencing violence and
lack of it affects their ability to access locally based protection and services.
Component
- Set up a toll-free domestic violence hotline and text services focusing to the
overall development of women who are victims of gender based violence through
grassroots level. However the specific objectives are to a) establish a common
understanding about the conceptual framework of gender advocacy and the key
inputs required to develop demand-driven strategies, especially for rural women
who are the victims of domestic violence and b) share contextual experiences
among the different stakeholders from different parts of the state helpful for
identifying appropriate gender based violence cases and remedial actions taken to
address them. The activity is addressing the different forms of violence such as
Domestic violence, including physical, psychological, sexual and financial abuse
that take place within family relationships and forms a pattern of coercive and
controlling behavior. This service is using new technology to reach victims and to
provide a safer, more reliable, way of reporting, recording, and responding to
reports of domestic violence.
- Establishing Legal Help Centers in particular at remote areas can result in
improving access of women to justice and legal supports. However there are
many women in the rural areas who don’t have access to the LHCs but suffering
from domestic violence and family conflicts and don’t know how to deal with the
problems.
4. Marketing Strategy and publicity in order to eliminate gander base violence.
Marketing is one of the most effective ways through which this problem can be
addressed, effectively and efficiently. The reason, that being while GBV is considered to
be an epidemic of daunting proportions - almost every woman has or will experience it in
her lifetime irrespective of her marital status, educational qualifications and employment,
it still a sensitive and culturally a very delicate issue to be publicly discussed and
addressed.
This gives an idea of the magnitude of the problem as well as the need to identify
and implement a strategy that will be acceptable and not prove to be counter-productive
for the victims. This where an appropriate marketing strategy plays a predominant role,
This is the entry point to develop and implement a proactive yet discreet marketing
strategy that would reach out to the silent victims of this crime and yet retain their
anonymity and security intact.
Components
- Religious leaders in the community: Scholars and religious leaders are key community
members and highly respected by the community members. For raising community
awareness on women rights including FGM, the religious leaders are effective way to
use. As some of scholars don’t know about the harmful result of this practice so, scholars
training program is useful to raise the awareness of religious leaders on women rights and
promote it in the community.
Through this program they will be trained and actively engage in promoting awareness in
the community for ending violence against women.
- Civil Society Organizations shall be sensitized about the importance of the program and
shall be encouraged to disseminate the information about this harmful practice through
awareness campaigns, the community members will learn about their right to health, their
right to be free from all kinds of violence. They will be aware about long term harmful
results of this practice and also these kinds of campaigns will be useful to provide people
to know the ways to prevent these health problems in the future.
- Media, as one of the most powerful forces on earth for shaping the way we think,
Potentially has a powerful role to play in transforming gender relations. Media provide
spaces for women's voices to be heard and address women's and girls' specific needs in
conflict situations. Through the media, public opinion is generated, strengthened, and
nourished. For this reason media must represent appropriately the pluralism of images
and discourses generated by society, in particular, those produced by women, because
they also have the right to take part in this public conversation. It is important, then, that
media content respects plurality and the diversity of voices, images, and words in favor of
gender equity. If journalists do not make more informed and balanced choices with regard
to the presentation of events and issues, women’s voices will continue to remain invisible
and patriarchy will remain. video advertisements, TV spots and TV round tables shall be
designed and broadcasted on National TV. Radio advertisements which have full
coverage especially in rural areas and remote villages that should make the awareness
campaign wider and more effective.
- Organization of competitive cultural festivals in girls/boys schools – both to sensitize
about women’s legal rights
- Circulation of Posters and Stickers in both urban centers and rural areas covering
universities, schools, clinics, local cooperatives and mosques.
- Organization of focus-group discussions of major stakeholders engaged in this field at
regular intervals.
Reference
World Health Organization (WHO). “Female genital mutilation and other harmful
practices.” (accessed June 10, 2014).
http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/fgm/prevalence/en/
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). “Female genital mutilation/cutting; a
statistical exploration,” (The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 2005).
http://www.unicef.org/publications/files/FGM-C_final_10_October.pdf.
ELhawary, Soad. "Violence against women in Egypt". Aguascalientes: United Nations
Statistical Commission, 2009.
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/meetings/vaw/docs/Paper2.pdf.
World Health Organization (WHO). “Female genital mutilation.” (accessed June 19,
2014).
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs241/en/