Combating female genital mutilation in Northeast (Horn) Africa and its challenges.

Amirbahram Arabahmadi

doi:10.4314/ahs.v20i4.54

Abstract

This article investigates the practice of female genital mutilation as a long-held custom in the countries of Northeast Africa, known as Horn of Africa, where many women in rural and urban areas are faced with different physical and psychic consequences in their future lives. To investigate the prevalence of FGM in the Horn of Africa and the traditional thinking of People about it. This study was based on descriptive analysis method. The questions of the study are (a) Why female circumcision is widely practiced in Horn of Africa; (b) What are the mental and physical consequences of female genital mutilation for the women; and (c) How regional and international entities, whether governmental or NGOs, are combating this tradition. This article has found out that female genital mutilation in Northeast African countries has resulted in many lifelong diseases and sexual degradation in many women and the best way to combat this tradition is to inform people by gradual (not abrupt) trainings without any insult to the beliefs of the people. This study reveals the Health education based on behavioral change. In doing so, the unity of policies between regional and international actors along with attracting the support of tribal elites is also needed.

Highlights

This article investigates the practice of female genital mutilation as a long-held custom in the countries of Northeast Africa, known as Horn of Africa, where many women in rural and urban areas are faced with different physical and psychic consequences in their future lives
The Horn of Africa, a peninsula in Northeast Africa, is home to the countries of Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and according to the WHO's statistics 11 is the location with the highest number of female circumcisions in the world, including in its most severe forms, with more than eighty percent of women in the region –from 15 to 49 ages- experiencing this practice 12
Some of the evidence for this paper such as a friendly conversation with ordinary and intellectuals as well as interviews with some urban ladies was collected by the researcher during several short journeys to the Horn of Africa countries such as Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Sudan, and while not directly drawing upon his area studies expertise in this paper, due to his acquaintance with the Horn of Africa countries’ culture and traditions, the author has interacted respectfully with the subject of examination

Summary

Methods

This paper uses the method of descriptive content analysis. Descriptive content analysis aims to identify and describe the main content of the data, chronologically, thematically or otherwise, either subject-focused or researcher-focused, and involves counting, listing, practicalizing and categorizing, as well as evaluation and interpretation. 15 In this paper the phenomenon of FGM in the Horn of Africa and its consequences such. In the oral tradition of many tribes in this region, when babies are born, they are bisexual by nature, and it is only after their circumcision that their sexuality is determined It is widely accepted by the people in the Horn of Africa, that whoever have not their genital cut at their childhood, they may confront with numerous physical problems at the time of their child delivery after marriage, and that does not end here, since they believe that a mother without circumcision could not be able to have deep relationship with her newborn baby.

Results

Conclusion

Limitations