The Experts below are selected from a list of 360 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Johanne Sundby - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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attitudes toward Female Circumcision among men and women in two districts in somalia is it time to rethink our eradication strategy in somalia
Obstetrics and Gynecology International, 2013Co-Authors: Abdi A Gele, Johanne SundbyAbstract:Somalia has the highest global prevalence (98%) of Female Circumcision (FC), and, despite a long history of abandonment efforts, it is not clear as to whether or not these programmes have changed people's positive attitudes toward the practice. Against this background, this paper explores the attitudes of Somalis living in Hargeisa and Galkayo districts to the practice of FC. Methods. A purposive sampling of 24 Somalis, including activists and practitioners, men and women, was conducted in Somalia. Unstructured interviews were employed to explore the participants' knowledge of FC, their attitudes toward the continuation/discontinuation of the practice, and the type they want to continue or not to continue. Result. The findings of this qualitative study indicate that there is a strong resistance towards the abandonment of the practice in Somalia. The support for the continuation of Sunna Circumcision is widespread, while there is a quite large rejection of Pharaonic Circumcision. Conclusion. Therefore, since the "zero tolerance policy" has failed to change people's support for the continuation of the practice in Somalia, programmes that promote the pinch of the clitoral skin and verbal alteration of status, with the goal of leading to total abandonment of FC, should be considered for the Somali context.
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have we made progress in somalia after 30 years of interventions attitudes toward Female Circumcision among people in the hargeisa district
BMC Research Notes, 2013Co-Authors: Abdi A Gele, Johanne SundbyAbstract:Female Circumcision is a major public health problem that largely contributes to the ill-health of women and their children globally. Accordingly, the international community is committed to take all possible measures to abolish the practice that is internationally considered to be absolutely intolerable. While the practice is a social tradition shared by people in 28 African countries, there is no country on earth where FC is more prevalent than in Somalia. Yet, since the early 1990s, there is no quantitative study that has investigated whether the perception towards the practice among Somali men and women in Somalia has improved or not. Thus, this cross-sectional quantitative study examines the attitudes toward the practice among people in Hargeisa, Somalia. A cross-sectional study of 215 randomly selected persons, including both men and women, was conducted in Hargeisa, Somalia from July to September of 2011. Participants were interviewed using structured questionnaires, with questions including the Circumcision status of the Female participants, the type of Circumcision, if one has the intention to circumcise his/her daughter, whether one supports the continuation or discontinuation of the practice and men’s perceptions toward having an uncircumcised woman as a wife. The findings show that 97% of the study’s participants were circumcised with no age differences. Of this, 81% were subjected to Type 3, while 16% were subjected to either Type 1 or 2 and only 3% were left uncircumcised. Approximately 85% of the respondents had intention to circumcise their daughters, with 13% were planning the most radical form. Among men, 96% preferred to marry circumcised women, whereas overall, 90% of respondents supported the continuation of the practice. The vast majority of the study’s respondents had a good knowledge of the negative health effects of Female Circumcision. In multivariate logistic regressions, with an adjustment for all other important variables, Female Circumcision (the Sunna form) is a religious requirement 16.5 (2.43-112.6) and the Sunna form is not harmful 25.1(2.35-281.1), are the two factors significantly associated with the continuation of Female Circumcision. Moreover, Females were less likely to support the continuation of FC compared to their male counterparts (aOR 0.07; CI: 0.05-0.88). The study shows that the support towards the persistence of the practice is profoundly high in Somalia. People are aware of the health and human rights effect of Female Circumcision, and yet they support the continuation of the practice. Therefore, over 30 years of campaigns with limited progress demand an alternative approach towards the eradication of Female Circumcision in Somalia.
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when Female Circumcision comes to the west attitudes toward the practice among somali immigrants in oslo
BMC Public Health, 2012Co-Authors: Elise Johansen, Abdikadir Ali Gele, Johanne SundbyAbstract:Female Circumcision (FC) has lifelong adverse social and health consequences for women, and its abolition will not only enhance the health of children and women, but also promote gender equality. Like many other Western countries, Norway hosts a large proportion of immigrants from FC-practicing countries, though primarily from Somalia, which is the country with the highest prevalence of FC in the world. A behavioral change by the practicing communities has the best chance to successfully and sustainably eliminate this practice. However, FC prevention programs require a behavioral surveillance that monitors the process of change, with this being the first quantitative study since the major migration of the Somali community to Norway began in 1991 to investigate whether or not Somali immigrants’ attitudes toward the practice has improved in favor of its abandonment. A cross-sectional study using a respondent-driven sampling (RDS) was conducted in Oslo from April to June of 2011. A sample of 214 persons was interviewed, using structured questionnaires. The results show that 70% of Somalis in Oslo support the discontinuation of all forms of FC compared to 30% who support its continuation, with the latter group more likely to be people who lived in Norway ≤ 4 years. Of the 10 girls who came to Norway at the age of ≤ 7 years, only one was circumcised, though whether the Circumcision occurred before or after the girl’s arrival in Norway remains unclear. The perception that FC is required by religion was the sole factor to be significantly associated with an ongoing support of FC. The study reveals that Somalis in Oslo demonstrate a trend to abandon this practice over time. Nevertheless, the 30% of the people who still support its continuation, and who are primarily newly arrived immigrants, require a targeted intervention that is implemented in the early phase of the immigrants’ arrival.
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attitudes toward Female Circumcision among somali immigrants in oslo a qualitative study
International Journal of Women's Health, 2012Co-Authors: Abdi A Gele, Bernadette N Kumar, Karin Harslof Hjelde, Johanne SundbyAbstract:Due to its negative impact on public health, Female Circumcision (FC) has gained increased attention from international communities and the Norwegian public in recent decades. In 1995, the Norwegian government outlawed the practice and simultaneously developed a package of measures aimed at preventing and ultimately eradicating FC in Norway. Like many other Western countries, immigrants of Somali descent constitute the largest immigrant group in Norway from countries with FC traditions. Although this immigrant group is often perceived as a cultural society that supports FC generally as a practice, there appears to be a lack of studies that explore the impact of acculturation and the Western social context on Somali immigrants’ attitudes toward the practice. Against this background, this paper explores the attitudes of Somalis living in Oslo, Norway to the practice of FC. Findings from this qualitative study indicate that Somalis in Oslo have, to a large extent, changed their attitude toward the practice. This was proven by the presence in Oslo of a large number of Somali parents who left their daughters uncut as well as Somali girls, boys, men, and women who attribute being uncircumcised a high status. This study adds to the knowledge of the process of abandonment of FC among immigrants in the Western countries. The study highlights the success that has been achieved in improving attitudes toward the practice of the Somali community in Oslo, Norway, as well as emerging challenges that need to be addressed further.
Nahid Toubia - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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editorial Female Circumcision Female genital mutilation
African Journal of Reproductive Health, 2017Co-Authors: Nahid ToubiaAbstract:The ritual cutting of parts of a girl’s genitals, often termed Female Circumcision (FC) or Female genital mutilation (FGM), once practised in different parts of the world is now only common in Africa. Twenty-eight African countries are confirmed to have some form of the ritual as described in the World Health Organisation’s classification, and the total number of women and girls affected is estimated at about 100 to 130 million with an annual increase of about two million. The prevalence rates vary widely between countries (5 percent in Zaire and over 90 percent in Sudan), and tend to follow tribal and ethnic, rather than national affiliation. Within a country or a social group it is known to cross religious, income, and, in some places, educational boundaries. In the past it was performed by specialized circumcisers, traditional healers, birth attendants, and barbers. More recently, modern health practitioners such as trained nurses, midwives, and doctors are increasingly involved in providing the service. Despite its clear health ramifications the involvement of the African medical and research community in the issue has been hesitant and patchy. Documentation of prevalence was primarily undertaken by advocacy groups who lacked the research training that would produce reliable data. In 1979 the Faculty of Medicine in Khartoum undertook the first specialized national survey on FC. This was followed by inclusion of FC related questions in the Sudan Fertility Survey (1980) and the Sudan Demographic and Health Survey (1989—90). Starting in 1993 the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS III) introduced a module on FC/FGM which has now been adapted and applied in seven countries. Sudan has also provided the majority of clinical studies documenting the physical complications of the practice, followed by Nigeria and Somalia. Given that both Sudan and Somalia have a high prevalence of the severest form (infibnlation), emphasis was made on the most extreme physical complications and minor attention was given to the psychological, sexual, and social consequences of the practice. Recently there has been more discussion of the issues from the point of view of medical ethics, and the involvement of health professionals at the international level, but no clear policy positions or regulations from African medical and nursing associations at regional and national levels. On the other hand, activism by women groups, both African and international, have made FCI FGM one of the more prominent issues of women’s and children’s rights, particularly within the United Nations system. This has resulted in unequivocal condemnation of the practice and strong recommendations for actions to stop it in the declarations of two recent world conferences: the International Conference on Population and Development (Cairo 1994) and the World Con- ference on Women (Beijing 1995). These documents were approved and signed, without reservation, by the governments of all the countries where the practice is common. The violation of the medical code of ethics of “do no harm” may be easier to illicit since FC/ FGM involves the removal or irreversible damage of the sexual organs of a girl for no health benefit and in the name of culture and tradition. This was the reason behind the recent decree (1997) by the minister of health in Egypt to consider the practice of FC by registered nurses and physicians a criminal act, punishable by existing laws against bodily injury. There are strong arguments and good reasons why FC/FGM must be considered a violation of the human rights of the girl child to her bodily integrity, but the call for immediate laws to punish it proponents is more controversial and complex. First, there is the lack of violent intent by the family, who undertake the practice primarily to “normalize” the daughter to her culture, and their lack of knowledge about its adverse effects. Second, there is the widespread nature of the practice which could make legal measure impractical and may result in serious adverse effects on the community. Thirdly, the belief in the practice is deep and protected by layers of superstitions, erroneous religious beliefs, and gender power structures that must be peeled and eroded before a law can become effective. In the absence of policies and programmes to bring about social change and a wider community involvement, passing a criminal law may only drive the practice underground. Ghana, where the practice is known amongst minority tribes living in the North, was the first post-independence African country to pass a law to criminalize FC/FGM in 1994. While studies to document the base line information on prevalence and health consequences are necessary, it is equally important to study the impact of passing the law on the community and its effect on their future behaviour. In Burkina Faso, where no survey data are available but the estimated prevalence of FC!FGM is over 70 percent nationally, the government has been supporting a nationwide campaign against the practice for over ten years, which culminated in the passing of a criminal law in 1996. The effect of the campaign as well as the criminal law, has yet to be studied. Non-legal measures against the practice have been in place for over a decade in many countries. These range from campaigns which disseminate information on the health consequences of the practice, alternative skill training, and education of circumcisers, and more recently, the introduction of alternative rituals. While these programmes vary in design, the focus of their target audience, their use of conventional educational techniques (such as lectures and speaches) and non-conventional methods (such as theatre, song, and radio messages), they share one thing in common: there has been little systematic study or evaluation of their effectiveness. Since FC!FGM is not a disease, but a human practice based on beliefs and social structures, efforts to stop it must focus research less on clinical models to document its complications, or epidemiological models of disease eradication, and more on exploring and studying the process of social change. The impact of factors such as economics, education, and urbanisation as well specific programmes targeted against the practice on individual, family, and community behaviour is at the centre of the questions to be answered by the scientific community in the future.
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learning about social change a research and evaluation guidebook using Female Circumcision as a case study
1999Co-Authors: S Izett, Nahid ToubiaAbstract:This research and evaluation guidebook explores the dynamics of social behavior and social change using Female Circumcision as a case study. The text is divided into six main chapters. The first chapter examines social behavior and provides a framework for understanding the road to behavioral change as it relates to decisions about Circumcision by individuals and in the community. The second chapter discusses two basic principles of survey research in determining baseline data and quantitative monitoring of change. The third chapter examines the uses of clinical studies in relation to the basic aspects of Female Circumcision/Female genital mutilation and outlines qualitative methods which can be utilized to study opinions perceptions and decision-making about the practice. The fourth chapter discusses ways of applying the results of the studies to develop preventive measures drawing on cases from three countries including Kenya Egypt and Sierra Leone. The fifth chapter presents approaches for monitoring and evaluating the program particularly on its structure function measurable outcomes and program impact. Finally chapter six discusses basic tenets of ethical codes of research and gives suggestions for approaching people sensitively and giving something in return to the participating communities.
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Female Circumcision as a public health issue
The New England Journal of Medicine, 1994Co-Authors: Nahid ToubiaAbstract:In many civilizations, certain surgical procedures have profound cultural and social meanings. Male Circumcision, for example, has deep importance as a symbol of religious and ethnic identity and has played a major part in the political and social history of many peoples1. Female Circumcision has particularly strong cultural meaning because it is closely linked to women's sexuality and their reproductive role in society. Female Circumcision is practiced today in 26 African countries, with prevalence rates ranging from 5 percent to 99 percent. It is rarely practiced in Asia. It is estimated that at least 100 million women are circumcised. . . .
Sara Johnsdotter - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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persistence of tradition or reassessment of cultural practices in exile discourses on Female Circumcision among and about swedish somalis
Transcultural Bodies: Female Genital Cutting in Global Context, 2007Co-Authors: Sara JohnsdotterAbstract:Persistence of tradition or reassessment of cultural practices in exile? Discourses on Female Circumcision among and about Swedish Somalis
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Female genital mutilation in the west traditional Circumcision versus genital cosmetic surgery
Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, 2004Co-Authors: Birgitta Essen, Sara JohnsdotterAbstract:This article intends to present the Scandinavian legislation on Female genital mutilation and explore the implications of the laws. Juxtaposing trends of plastic genital surgery in the West with claims that Female Circumcision may be a practice generally abandoned in Scandinavia, we highlight the double morality inherent in current public discussions. Finally, we pose the question: Is the legal principle of equality before the law regarded when it comes to alterations of the Female genitals?
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somali women in western exile reassessing Female Circumcision in the light of islamic teachings
Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, 2003Co-Authors: Sara JohnsdotterAbstract:What happens to the practice of Female Circumcision among Muslims who live in Western countries and who come from countries where the tradition still exists? This article examines the practice of Female Circumcision among Somalis living in Sweden, and reviews the role of Islam in this context. It will be argued that this practice is now being abandoned by Swedish Somalis, principally on the basis of a reassessment of the religious imperative, for what used to be considered a religious duty in Somalia is, in the exile situation, being re-evaluated and re-interpreted as a violation of fundamental Islamic teachings. The inevitable reflection in exile upon the practice of Female Circumcision led the Somalis in this study to ask themselves and each other about the religious foundation of the custom, resulting in a total repudiation of pharaonic Circumcision among almost all of them. When it comes to what is called the sunnah type of Circumcision, there were several opinions on the matter. Most Swedish Somalis seem to have reached the conclusion that sunnah Circumcision is acceptable if no harm is inflicted on the girl, but the practice itself is not necessary. In exile the ‘naturalness’ of the practice of Female Circumcision becomes questionable. Two strong motives for Female Circumcision in Somalia lose their significance: the earlier fear of social criticism for deviation and the demand for Circumcision of girls for marriage-ability. In Sweden, young Somali girls would be the ones deviating from their peers if they were circumcised, and their mothers depend upon the hope that they one day can marry Somalis who have grown up in Western countries and have a new view of Female Circumcision. We could also see a general support for the enactment of Swedish law against Female Circumcision, even though some critics react against the cultural imperialism inherent in a law directed towards a specific group of immigrants. Indeed many informants expressed a deep fear of Swedish social authorities and were well aware of the right of the society to take over the custody of their children by force. However, the most important reason stated for individuals’ decisions to abandon this ancient Somali traditional practice focused on religious aspects, as will be discussed below.
Abdi A Gele - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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is Female Circumcision evolving or dissolving in norway a qualitative study on attitudes toward the practice among young somalis in the oslo area
International Journal of Women's Health, 2015Co-Authors: Abdi A Gele, Mette Sagbakken, Bernadette N KumarAbstract:Female genital mutilation or Female Circumcision (FC) is increasingly visible on the global health and development agenda - both as a matter of social justice and equality for women and as a research priority. Norway is one of the global nations hosting a large number of immigrants from FC-practicing countries, the majority from Somalia. To help counteract this practice, Norway has adopted a multifaceted policy approach that employs one of the toughest measures against FC in the world. However, little is known about the impact of Norway's approach on the attitudes toward the practice among traditional FC-practicing communities in Norway. Against this background, this qualitative study explores the attitudes toward FC among young Somalis between the ages of 16 to 22 living in the Oslo and Akershus regions of Norway. Findings indicate that young Somalis in the Oslo area have, to a large extent, changed their attitude toward the practice. This was shown by the participants' support and sympathy toward criminalization of FC in Norway, which they believed was an important step toward saving young girls from the harmful consequences of FC. Most of the uncircumcised girls see their uncircumcised status as being normal, whereas they see circumcised girls as survivors of violence and injustice. Moreover, the fact that male participants prefer a marriage to uncircumcised girls is a strong condition for change, since if uncut girls are seen as marriageable then parents are unlikely to want to circumcise them. As newly arrived immigrants continue to have positive attitudes toward the practice, knowledge of FC should be integrated into introduction program classes that immigrants attend shortly after their residence permit is granted. This study adds to the knowledge of the process of the abandonment of FC among immigrants in Western countries.
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attitudes toward Female Circumcision among men and women in two districts in somalia is it time to rethink our eradication strategy in somalia
Obstetrics and Gynecology International, 2013Co-Authors: Abdi A Gele, Johanne SundbyAbstract:Somalia has the highest global prevalence (98%) of Female Circumcision (FC), and, despite a long history of abandonment efforts, it is not clear as to whether or not these programmes have changed people's positive attitudes toward the practice. Against this background, this paper explores the attitudes of Somalis living in Hargeisa and Galkayo districts to the practice of FC. Methods. A purposive sampling of 24 Somalis, including activists and practitioners, men and women, was conducted in Somalia. Unstructured interviews were employed to explore the participants' knowledge of FC, their attitudes toward the continuation/discontinuation of the practice, and the type they want to continue or not to continue. Result. The findings of this qualitative study indicate that there is a strong resistance towards the abandonment of the practice in Somalia. The support for the continuation of Sunna Circumcision is widespread, while there is a quite large rejection of Pharaonic Circumcision. Conclusion. Therefore, since the "zero tolerance policy" has failed to change people's support for the continuation of the practice in Somalia, programmes that promote the pinch of the clitoral skin and verbal alteration of status, with the goal of leading to total abandonment of FC, should be considered for the Somali context.
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have we made progress in somalia after 30 years of interventions attitudes toward Female Circumcision among people in the hargeisa district
BMC Research Notes, 2013Co-Authors: Abdi A Gele, Johanne SundbyAbstract:Female Circumcision is a major public health problem that largely contributes to the ill-health of women and their children globally. Accordingly, the international community is committed to take all possible measures to abolish the practice that is internationally considered to be absolutely intolerable. While the practice is a social tradition shared by people in 28 African countries, there is no country on earth where FC is more prevalent than in Somalia. Yet, since the early 1990s, there is no quantitative study that has investigated whether the perception towards the practice among Somali men and women in Somalia has improved or not. Thus, this cross-sectional quantitative study examines the attitudes toward the practice among people in Hargeisa, Somalia. A cross-sectional study of 215 randomly selected persons, including both men and women, was conducted in Hargeisa, Somalia from July to September of 2011. Participants were interviewed using structured questionnaires, with questions including the Circumcision status of the Female participants, the type of Circumcision, if one has the intention to circumcise his/her daughter, whether one supports the continuation or discontinuation of the practice and men’s perceptions toward having an uncircumcised woman as a wife. The findings show that 97% of the study’s participants were circumcised with no age differences. Of this, 81% were subjected to Type 3, while 16% were subjected to either Type 1 or 2 and only 3% were left uncircumcised. Approximately 85% of the respondents had intention to circumcise their daughters, with 13% were planning the most radical form. Among men, 96% preferred to marry circumcised women, whereas overall, 90% of respondents supported the continuation of the practice. The vast majority of the study’s respondents had a good knowledge of the negative health effects of Female Circumcision. In multivariate logistic regressions, with an adjustment for all other important variables, Female Circumcision (the Sunna form) is a religious requirement 16.5 (2.43-112.6) and the Sunna form is not harmful 25.1(2.35-281.1), are the two factors significantly associated with the continuation of Female Circumcision. Moreover, Females were less likely to support the continuation of FC compared to their male counterparts (aOR 0.07; CI: 0.05-0.88). The study shows that the support towards the persistence of the practice is profoundly high in Somalia. People are aware of the health and human rights effect of Female Circumcision, and yet they support the continuation of the practice. Therefore, over 30 years of campaigns with limited progress demand an alternative approach towards the eradication of Female Circumcision in Somalia.
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attitudes toward Female Circumcision among somali immigrants in oslo a qualitative study
International Journal of Women's Health, 2012Co-Authors: Abdi A Gele, Bernadette N Kumar, Karin Harslof Hjelde, Johanne SundbyAbstract:Due to its negative impact on public health, Female Circumcision (FC) has gained increased attention from international communities and the Norwegian public in recent decades. In 1995, the Norwegian government outlawed the practice and simultaneously developed a package of measures aimed at preventing and ultimately eradicating FC in Norway. Like many other Western countries, immigrants of Somali descent constitute the largest immigrant group in Norway from countries with FC traditions. Although this immigrant group is often perceived as a cultural society that supports FC generally as a practice, there appears to be a lack of studies that explore the impact of acculturation and the Western social context on Somali immigrants’ attitudes toward the practice. Against this background, this paper explores the attitudes of Somalis living in Oslo, Norway to the practice of FC. Findings from this qualitative study indicate that Somalis in Oslo have, to a large extent, changed their attitude toward the practice. This was proven by the presence in Oslo of a large number of Somali parents who left their daughters uncut as well as Somali girls, boys, men, and women who attribute being uncircumcised a high status. This study adds to the knowledge of the process of abandonment of FC among immigrants in the Western countries. The study highlights the success that has been achieved in improving attitudes toward the practice of the Somali community in Oslo, Norway, as well as emerging challenges that need to be addressed further.
Gunilla Lindmark - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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it s only a tradition making sense of eradication interventions and the persistence of Female Circumcision within a swedish context
Critical Social Policy, 2004Co-Authors: Beth Maina Ahlberg, Gunilla Lindmark, Ingela Krantz, Marian WarsameAbstract:This paper questions why Female Circumcision (FC) persists despite eradication interventions and the migration of people to non-practising countries and discusses the reasoning of Somali immigrants ...
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a hospital study of the complications of Female Circumcision
Tropical Doctor, 1991Co-Authors: Mahdi A Dirie, Gunilla LindmarkAbstract:During one year 118 patients were admitted to the operative gynecological ward of Banadir Maternity Hospital, Mogadishu, Somalia, with diseases related to the practice of Female Circumcision. Fifty...
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Female Circumcision in Somalia and Women's Motives
Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica, 1991Co-Authors: A. Dirie, Gunilla LindmarkAbstract:Two hundred and ninety Somalian women have participated in a study. They responded adequately to the questionnaire administered. One hundred percent of these women were circumcised, despite their relatively high socio-economic status as shown by their educational level. Eighty-eight percent of them had been circumcised with excision and infibulation, A. 5% were circumcised with clitoridectomy and the remaining 5.5% with Sunna. The majority of these women justified the practice of Female Circumcision with religious reasons and all were willing to circumcise their daughters. Fifty-two percent of the respondents had been operated on by medically untrained persons, usually traditional birth attendants and the majority were operated on at home.
