Peer-reviewed article
Six aspects of female genital mutilation education (SAFE) model: findings from a qualitative study.
Waigwa S, Bradbury-Jones C, Doos L, Taylor J ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This qualitative study explored what makes health education interventions about female genital mutilation (FGM) effective by interviewing 21 women and men from communities in Birmingham, UK with experience of FGM. The research identified six key aspects that influence FGM education: active communication, attitudes and beliefs, knowledge about FGM, social structures, programme approach, and vision for a better future. These factors operate within broader contexts of social structures, culture and media. The findings provide guidance for designing holistic interventions to prevent FGM and support survivors.
Key points
- Over 200 million women and girls globally live with consequences of FGM, including physical, psychological and social problems
- Six themes emerged as important for FGM education effectiveness: active communication, attitudes and beliefs, knowledge about FGM, social structures, programme approach, and better future vision
- These six themes cluster into three overarching groupings: social structures, culture and media
- Study used intersectionality as a theoretical lens to understand how different social identities affect FGM experiences and education needs
- Findings are intended to guide holistic intervention design for both FGM prevention and survivor support
Limitations
The study involved only 21 participants from one UK city, so findings may not generalise to other communities or countries where FGM practices differ. The research was qualitative and exploratory, so it cannot quantify the impact of each aspect on intervention effectiveness or test whether the SAFE model actually reduces FGM incidence.
Abstract
Objectives Recent figures show that over 200 million women and girls, globally, live with the consequences of female genital mutilation (FGM). Complex debilitating physical, psychological and social problems result from the practice. Health education interventions have proven to be essential in both preventing the practice and informing support of survivors. In this study, we aimed to explore factors that affect the effectiveness of health education interventions. Design A generic qualitative approach was applied using semistructured individual and focus group interviews with women and men from communities with a history of FGM in Birmingham, UK. Framework analysis was used to group recurring themes from the data. Intersectionality was used as a theoretical lens to synthesise findings. Participants Twenty-one individuals (18 women and 3 men) participated in semistructured individual and focus group interviews about their views and experiences of health and well-being intervention programmes related to FGM. Results Six themes emerged from the data and were developed into a model of issues relating to FGM education. These six themes are (1) active communication, (2) attitudes and beliefs, (3) knowledge about FGM, (4) social structures, (5) programme approach and (6) the better future. A combined discussion of all these issues was compressed into three groupings: social structures, culture and media. Conclusion The results of this study depict aspects associated with FGM education that should be considered by future interventions aiming to prevent the practice and inform support services for survivors in a holistic way.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Health education interventions addressing FGM, assessed through qualitative exploration of community views and experiences
- Population
- 21 individuals (18 women and 3 men) from communities with a history of FGM in Birmingham, UK
Key finding
Six key aspects identified as affecting FGM education effectiveness: active communication, attitudes and beliefs, knowledge about FGM, social structures, programme approach, and vision for better future