An examination of the medicalization trend in female genital cutting in Egypt: How does it relate to a girl's risk of being cut?

Eekert, Nina Van; Biegel, Naomi; Gadeyne, Sylvie; Sarah, Van De Velde

doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113024

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…The World Health Organization (WHO) defines female genital mutilation (FGM) as practices that damage the external female genitalia without any medical justification and classifies the lesion according to the extent and tissues (World Health Organization, 2020). The phenomenon of medicalization is leading to health professionals replacing traditional excisers in the performance of female genital mutilation, it is still unclear how this new dynamic implies in reducing the prevalence or legitimizing the practice (Nina et al, 2020; World Health Organization, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Female Genital Mutilation as a Social Norm: Examining the Beliefs and Attitudes of Women in This Diaspora

et al. 2022

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In this article, we explore the beliefs, values and attitudes about female genital mutilation in the diaspora of sub-Saharan women and how the migration process has influenced these beliefs. Our qualitative analysis of the life stories and lifelines of 10 women in the sub-Saharan diaspora in light of the Social Convention Theory indicated that making public statements about the topic is complex and that the taboo permeating the practice remains intact even outside of Africa. Furthermore, we discovered that, in our context, this practice was not a requirement and did not improve the chances of marriage, with female behaviours considered ‘appropriate’ instead gaining value. Any interventions based on this theory must consider the broad networks that help shape marriages in this diaspora. This work opened new lines of research regarding the situation of the diaspora of sub-Saharan women and the relationship of the practice of female genital mutilation with marriage.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Female Genital Mutilation as a Social Norm: Examining the Beliefs and Attitudes of Women in This Diaspora

et al. 2022

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“…For example, she could have drawn from existing scholarship that challenges the taken for granted notion that male circumcision is inherently beneficial, and that all forms of female circumcision are inherently harmful (Darby, 2015;Earp, 2017;Frisch et al, 2013;Obermeyer, 1999;Shweder, 2002). Or she could have used empirical evidence from Egypt that shows that medicalised FGM can go hand-in-hand with a decrease in prevalence to challenge the assumption that medicalisation would undermine efforts to end the practice (Van Eekert et al, 2020). In the final verdict, the judges wrote that Kamau failed to provide evidence for a number of claims.…”

Section: Constitutional Petition Against Kenya's Prohibition Of Fgm A...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Is Anti-FGM Legislation Cultural Imperialism? Interrogating Kenya's Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Act

Bavel

2022

Social & Legal Studies

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Postcolonial feminists and anthropologists have criticised anti-female genital mutilation (FGM) efforts for being ethnocentric and for imposing ‘Western’ values onto African communities. Recently, a Kenyan medical doctor has petitioned against Kenya's Prohibition of FGM Act, arguing that the Act is unconstitutional and the entrenchment of Western values. This article critically interrogates the allegation that African legislation against ‘FGM’ (FGM) embodies the culturally-imperialist imposition of Western values by empirically examining how Kenya's anti-FGM Act was produced and became contested. The findings show that international power hierarchies influence who can speak and what can be said about FGM. However, the findings simultaneously challenge the Africa/West and cultural relativism/imperialism divide present in some of the critiques of anti-FGM legislation and interventions. I argue that the notion of ‘imposition’ does not adequately capture the African agency and the transnational collaborations that went into both producing and contesting the Act.

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Rethinking the Definition of Medicalized Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting

Van Eekert,

Barrett,

Kimani

et al. 2024

Arch Sex Behav

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An examination of the medicalization trend in female genital cutting in Egypt: How does it relate to a girl's risk of being cut?

Cited by 6 publications

References 30 publications

Female Genital Mutilation as a Social Norm: Examining the Beliefs and Attitudes of Women in This Diaspora

Female Genital Mutilation as a Social Norm: Examining the Beliefs and Attitudes of Women in This Diaspora

Is Anti-FGM Legislation Cultural Imperialism? Interrogating Kenya's Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Act

Rethinking the Definition of Medicalized Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting

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