Elsevier

Midwifery

Volume 34, March 2016, Pages 30-35
Midwifery

Key points for abolishing Female Genital Mutilation from the perspective of the men involved

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2016.01.017Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Health-care professionals from the fields of nursing and, more precisely.

  • obstetrics, should play an active role in the research and prevention of FGM.

  • Dialogue promotes knowledge, knowledge promotes critical thinking and critical thinking, the abolition of FGM/A.

  • Sensitisation via health education is fundamental to the eradication of this practice.

  • Those men who are aware of the consequences of FGM are less likely to choose mutilated women.

Abstract

Introduction

female Genital Mutilation is internationally considered an affront on human rights and an act of violence against women and young girls. Furthermore, it hierarchises and perpetuates inequality and denies the right to bodily and psychosocial integrity of women and young girls.

Aims

to detect the key points for the abolition of Female Genital Mutilation as well as the necessary resources for its eradication.

Material and Method

a qualitative methodology with an ethnonursing perspective, via semi-structured interviews, held both individually and in groups, in 21 men familiar with Female Genital Mutilation.

Findings

through the voices of men familiar with this tradition, five key points are presented for its gradual eradication: sensitisation and awareness building, team action, abolition-promoting media, focusing action on rural areas and applying educational means before punitive ones.

Conclusion and practical implications

awareness-raising via the combined efforts of families, communities and governments, together with the promotion of health education programmes in demonstrating the complications derived from this practice, play a vital part in eradicating Female Genital Mutilation.

Introduction

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is defined by the World Health Organization (OMS, 2012) as ‘all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genital organs or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons’ . The majority of these procedures are performed in precarious and unhygienic conditions (Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 2009) and as such can cause a wide range of complications in several health-related areas: physical, obstetrico-gynaecological, sexuality, psychological and social (Jiménez Ruiz et al., 2012)

According to data from UNICEF (2013), it affects a population of approximately 125 million women and girls worldwide, and 30 million girls less than 14 years of age are at risk every year. Furthermore, data from Amnistía Internacional (1998) and UNICEF (2013) point to between two and three million women and girls being denied their rights as a result of this practice every year, which translates to 8219 women and girls becoming victims of FGM every day.

FGM is performed mainly in 29 countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as in Yemen, Iraq, Malaysia, Indonesia and certain ethnic groups in South America (UNICEF, 2013), however, current globalisation and migratory phenomena mean that cases are being seen throughout the entire industrialised world (Grande Gascón et al., 2013).

It should be highlighted that health-care services are in the best position to detect, diagnose and prevent FGM due to their close contact with families and ongoing care of young girls over their developing stages (UNAF, 2013). Furthermore, nursing and more precisely obstetrics and gynaecological professionals, being health-care occupations based on respect for human rights, should play an active part in research and preventative efforts against harmful practices imposed on women׳s health (Affara, 2002).

Section snippets

Aims

To detect the key points for the abolition of Female Genital Mutilation, as well as the necessary resources for its eradication.

Material and method

The present study is based on a qualitative methodology, with an ethnomethodological focus. This approach, in addition to being pertinent in as much as documenting knowledge and opinions regarding values and beliefs which might interfere with cultural care and the state of health of those performing cultural care, is the fundamental basis underlying ethnonursing as established by Madeleine Leininger.

Results

The catalogue of key points for eradicating FGM emerges in the form of a road map, as a result of the reasoning of the men now opposed to this tradition. These recommendations are based mainly on actively listening to people with firsthand knowledge of this practice and its foundations. These individuals, who have undergone a process of sensitisation regarding this issue, come from families in which FGM is or was performed and have personally experienced the complications arising from this

Discussion

These results suggest a number of recommendations and measures for the abolition of FGM. Furthermore, it becomes very clear how sensitised men who have participated in awareness-raising and health education programmes, can change their viewpoint with regard to this practice, thus demonstrating that no conviction is unchangeable. In this context, a study published in 2015 by Abolfotouh et al points to the need for improved communication and education regarding FGM in order to shift the attitudes

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that professionals of the nursing and obstetrics fields can be a key element in the process of eradicating FGM via sensitisation, awareness building and teamwork of families, communities and governments. The development of health education programmes involving graphic media and focused on demonstrating the existence of real health consequences resulting from this practice, play a fundamental role in the eradication of FGM in the medium to long term as a complementary

Conflict of interest

No conflict of interest.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the men making up the sample for their participation. Without their altruistic contribution, this study would never have been possible. We would also like to extend our thanks to the Faculty of Nursing of the University of Murcia for allowing access to their facilities and also to thank the association DEMUSA, thanks to their existence we have been able to reach the study population.

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