Breaking the Silence: The Complex Role of Female Genital Mutilation in Post-Conflict Regions ๐๐
Deep Dive with Edward ๐ฌ
In this article Edward discusses the issue of Female Genital Mutilation in post conflict regions. He is a student journalist with us on a placement organised by the Oxford University Career Services. This article was edited using Lex.page.
๐ง listen to Edward's backstory here - she discusses her motivation & research as well.
Renegotiating identity: the role of Female Genital Mutilation in post-conflict regions
On the eve of International Womenโs Day, UNICEF published their 2024 update on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The update reported a 15% increase in the number of girls and women since 2016. The report highlights the prevalence of FGM in conflict-affected or socially fragile countries, stating that 4 in 10 affected individuals live in these areas.
Why are FGM rates higher in conflict-affected and post-conflict regions? How can we lower and eradicate the practice if we don't understand this? In this article, I explore the role of identity in sustaining and increasing FGM rates in post-conflict regions, among displaced communities and in political discourse.
Clinging on to identity: the practice of FGM among displaced peoples
Despite the high prevalence of FGM in conflict-affected and post-conflict regions, little research has been done on the factors behind higher rates in these areas. The UNICEF report finds that in conflict-affected regions, 'more difficultโฆto implement programmes and policies known to help prevent the practice,โ other studies suggest other factors. One less understood, but equally important, is identity.
FGM is strongly linked to cultural, ethnic, and religious identity in all regions and contexts where it is performed. Research demonstrates how identity influences FGM rates in post-conflict regions, among displaced populations in conflict-affected areas, and following migration to Western countries. Displaced individuals who do not practice FGM may begin to engage in it when they move to areas where it is prevalent. For instance, a study indicated that displaced individuals from Western and Southern Sudan, where FGM is uncommon, relocated to the northern part of the country, where it is widespread, after experiencing conflict. These groups adopted the practice in order to assimilate into their new communities, thereby contributing to the reintroduction of FGM in Southern and Western Sudan. A similar pattern was observed in Mali. In cases where displaced individuals do not feel a sense of integration, they may adopt FGM to facilitate inclusion.
Identity can affect FGM rates. One study suggests that the desire to preserve social identity increases in displacement, making the practice an 'identity marker.โ This is evident in post-conflict regions with large refugee populations, like Kenya after the 2007-2008 crisis, home to some of the largest refugee camps. 30 years ago, 26% of girls aged 15 to 19 had undergone FGM, now down to 9%. However, around 94% of Somali women in Kenya have undergone FGM.
A study of Somali women in Nairobi showed that FGM wasn't tied to being a โgood Muslim woman,โ but to being a โgood Somali.โ The high rates were linked to Somali national identities. The study concluded that this identity was heightened outside Somalia, where displaced people felt excluded. Therefore, continuing traditions like FGM became a way of coping with marginalization, and the practice became an โidentity marker.'
Similar to Kenya, may be considered a post-conflict region after The Egyptian Crisis of 2011-14, with a large number of displaced people. There are significant numbers of Sudanese refugees in Egypt, estimated at around 500,000. Like Kenya, has made progress in reducing FGM, from 97% thirty years ago to 70% in the latest figures. High rates of FGM among displaced people contribute to the persistence of this practice in Egypt. One study found that a major obstacle to prevention in Egypt was the practice's role as an identity marker, which was based on focus groups with practitioners and experts working on FGM in humanitarian contexts. One practitioner stated that Sudanese refugees in Egypt were 'attempting to preserve their identity and the actions they used to carry out in their country, including FGM. This is simply a psychological issue.โ
Why are rates of FGM high in conflict-affected and post-conflict regions? Identity is a major factor in the practice among displaced peoples. In post-conflict regions like Egypt and Kenya, which have reduced FGM, failure to integrate displaced peoples leaves them feeling marginalized, and clinging to 'markers of identity.โ Integration of displaced communities is crucial to eradicating the practice in Kenya and Egypt.
Rebuilding identity in post-conflict regions: the legality of FGM in Sierra Leone
Identity is a factor in FGM rates among displaced peoples. In post-conflict regions, identity is important in political discourse as countries rebuild their national identity after conflicts and crises. Like displaced communities, post-conflict regions look to โmarkers of identity' and long-held cultural traditions to reassert unity. Governments in post-conflict regions may turn to FGM as an identity marker.
Sierra Leone, a region that has experienced conflict in the past, has attempted to establish a new national identity following a lengthy Civil War that concluded in 2002. It is one of the few countries that does not have legislation prohibiting FGM. In February, the government faced mounting pressure to ban FGM after the deaths of three girls during circumcision garnered significant attention. The practice of FGM is deeply ingrained in the traditions of the โBondo,โ a powerful secretive society of women in Sierra Leone. Dr. Nina Smart has analyzed why the Sierra Leone government, a representative democracy, has not yet outlawed FGM. Smart suggests that there exists a power dynamic between the Bondo and the Members of Parliament, who remain silent on FGM in exchange for support. The practice is intertwined with the notion of identity. Smart argues that the new Sierra Leone parliament views it as a symbol of democracy and the country's stability, serving to bridge religious, ethnic, and political divisions. It has become a useful tool for politicians to unite the population they serve. FGM has become a defining characteristic in this unstable post-conflict region.
Identity is a significant factor in FGM among displaced peoples in conflict-affected and stable post-conflict regions, as well as in emerging countries. It unites people across ethnic, religious, and political divides, and is part of a cultural identity crucial for democracy. Addressing the role of identity in sustaining the practice is required to eradicate FGM in Sierra Leone.
Final thoughts
The international community and member states committed to eradicating FGM by the decade's end as part of the 2030 Agenda. The recent UNICEF report reveals that the decline of FGM needs to be 27 times faster to meet this target. Conflict-affected and post-conflict regions pose the greatest challenges due to the complex role of identity among displaced peoples and political discourse. Failure to recognize this may lead to a bleaker next UNICEF report.
Thank you for reading an A4R ๐จ Post. Donโt forget to visit our gift shop here. Every purchase scales our impact and pays our bills.