Abstract
This Major Research Paper conducted a critical discourse analysis of a documentary produced by NTV Kenya and AMREF Africa about eradicating Female Circumcision in the Maasai community in Kenya. This research sought to understand how the documentary constructed anti female genital mutilation (FGM) discourse. The main discourses were colonialism, saving the Maasai girl, and double patriarchy as is constructed by International NGOs. These discourses became evident through the language used, images displayed on the screen, gendered power relations and who is benefiting from these. Using the Maasai Female Experience (MFE) as a theoretical lens, I placed emphasis on how Maasai women are treated in the anti-FGM campaigns which is driven by international NGOs. African centered worldviews were also employed in this study by the use of MFE and Afrocentric theory of social change. Community development workers and social workers need to consider these discourses while working with Maasai women. They must be conscious about reproducing oppressive practices and stereotypes that has historically been used to marginalize Maasai women.
Highlights
Female Genital Mutilation is a political global issue and an intimate bodily experience for women who undergo the practice (Irvine, 2011)
My approach to this paper is expressed well by Sharon Traweek (1992) who states: I am going to write some stories for you and I will be in some of them, I want you to know how I came to learn about them and I want you to understand how the stories some of them might be different from what you expect. (p. 432) As a woman who is: African, Maasai, a community activist and a mature international student pursuing a Masters of Social Work at Ryerson University, I feel privileged to have an opportunity to participate in the knowledge production process through conducting a graduate research project on a topic that is very close to my heart
As a critical social worker researcher currently trained in an anti-oppressive practice approach, I will be situating myself in my Major Research Paper (MRP)
Summary
Female Genital Mutilation is a political global issue and an intimate bodily experience for women who undergo the practice (Irvine, 2011). Coloniality of Anti-FGM Discourse, portrayals of Maasai bodies & its effect on Women
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