Abstract
The objective of this is to investigate African immigrant women’s perceptions of female genital mutilation (FGM) within the Canadian Criminal Code. Ten African immigrant women resident in Windsor, Canada were selected using snowball sampling for interviews. These women were of four African nationalities, namely Nigeria, Ghana, Somalia and Sudan. Semi-structured interview protocol with open answer possibilities guided the interviews. Most of the participants (70%) had undergone FGM, 25% had not and 5% were unable to confirm their FGM status. Participants’ perceptions of sexuality remained inconclusive, and were linked to their ethnicity and religion. The participants noted that the association between FGM and infertility in western societies was questionable and Eurocentric. Despite the prevalence of FGM, African nations have high fertility, averaging six or more children. Participants reported the need to provide a prevention protocol that is not based on ethnocentric values but gives adult women the choice to be circumcised or not. Although recent literature in developed countries continue to highlight the negative outcomes of FGM, participants in this study are starting to question the criminalization of FGM based on protecting the rights of women and children because of the ‘restructuring and reconstruction of the vagina’ in developed countries. Key words: Female genital mutilation (FGM), fertility/infertility, African immigrant women.
Highlights
World Health Organization (WHO) defines female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) as “all procedures of modification that involve partial or total removal of the external genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons” (WHO, 2008; 2016)
WHO (2017) classified FGM/C into four types: Type I: “Sunna”/clitoridectomy, which is the partial or total removal of the clitoris and/or prepuce; Type II: Excision is the partial or total removal of the clitoris and the labia minora, with or without excision of the labia majora; Type III: Infibulation is the narrowing of the vaginal orifice with a creation of a covering seal by cutting and repositioning the labia minora and/or the labia majora, with or without excision of the clitoris
This paper adopts social constructionism to explore and provide an understanding of the perspectives of African immigrant women about FGM/C and any changes resulting from the new context of the host society due to migration
Summary
World Health Organization (WHO) defines female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) as “all procedures of modification that involve partial or total removal of the external genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons” (WHO, 2008; 2016). This paper explores the perspectives of African immigrant women living in Windsor Canada, where FGM is illegal and criminalized
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