Peer-reviewed article
Female genital mutilation in Africa: Politics of criminalisation
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Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This edited collection examines Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Africa through an African feminist and decolonial perspective. Over 25 African countries have adopted laws criminalising FGM, yet the practice persists despite these legal efforts. The book brings together theoretical, practical, and survivor perspectives to challenge current legal frameworks and calls for a rethinking of how criminal law addresses FGM and women's rights.
Key points
- More than 25 African countries have adopted criminalisation laws against FGM
- FGM continues to devastate millions of women and girls despite global criminalisation efforts
- Current legal frameworks have exposed limits in addressing FGM through criminal law alone
- The collection challenges dominant narratives by examining colonial legal imposition and post-colonial resistance
- Contributors offer intersectional analysis from theoretical, practical, and survivor perspectives
Limitations
This is a policy and theoretical analysis document rather than an empirical study. It does not provide quantitative evidence on the effectiveness of criminalisation laws, prevalence rates of FGM, or outcomes of specific interventions, making it unable to measure the actual impact of legal approaches on reducing FGM practices.
Abstract
Despite global criminalisation efforts, with over 60 countries, including more than 25 in Africa, adopting laws, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) persists, devastating the lives of millions of women and girls and exposing the limits of current legal frameworks. In Female Genital Mutilation in Africa, editor Satang Nabaneh curates a timely and crucial collection, illustrating the complex history of colonial legal imposition and the evolving post-colonial resistance, while challenging dominant narratives. Through an intersectional, African feminist, and decolonial lens, this book ignites a vital cross-boundary (disciplinary, national, ethnic and religious) dialogue on the adequacy of criminal law in addressing FGM. Contributors offer theoretical, practical, and survivor perspectives, providing context-specific analyses that calls on advocates, policymakers, legislators, scholars, and students to rethink human rights and the use of criminal law, pertaining to issues of women and girls, both in Africa and globally.