Peer-reviewed article
"People will talk about her if she is not circumcised": Exploring the patterning, drivers and gender norms around female genital mutilation in Ethiopia's Somali region.
Presler-Marshall E, Jones N, Endale K, Woldehanna T, Yadete W et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This research examines female genital mutilation (FGM) practices in Ethiopia's Somali region, involving interviews with over 1,000 adolescents, caregivers, and key informants in 2022-2023. Almost all Somali girls undergo FGM before age 15, with infibulation being near universal, though recent shifts show some girls receiving 'partial' infibulation promoted by religious leaders as a less invasive Islamic requirement. The study found that FGM is deeply embedded as a social norm, with adults viewing it as necessary for marriage and social acceptance, while girls see it primarily as a requirement for social belonging. The research recommends that FGM interventions engage whole communities rather than individual champions and be open to incremental harm-reduction approaches.
Key points
- Almost all Somali girls undergo FGM before age 15, with infibulation near universal
- Religious leaders are promoting 'partial' or 'less invasive' infibulation as a religious requirement to reduce health risks of traditional practice
- Medicalization of FGM is emerging, with mothers seeking to reduce risks through clinical procedures
- FGM is distinguished by respondents as both a perceived religious requirement and a cultural requirement tied to marriage eligibility and sexuality control
- Girls and women frame FGM around social acceptance and peer conformity, while boys and men emphasize it as a marriage requirement
Limitations
This study describes patterns and drivers of FGM in one specific region of Ethiopia and may not represent FGM practices in other geographical or cultural contexts. The research does not evaluate the effectiveness of any intervention to reduce FGM, so it cannot tell us what strategies successfully change these deeply embedded norms.
Abstract
Over the past decade there has been a burgeoning literature on social norms and the need to understand their context-specific patterning and trends to promote change, including to address the harmful practice of female genital mutilation (FGM), which affects around 200 million girls and women globally. This article draws on mixed-methods data collected in 2022 and 2023 with 1,020 adolescents and their caregivers, as well as key informants, from Ethiopia's Somali region to explore the patterning, drivers, and decision-making around FGM. Findings indicate that almost all Somali girls can expect to undergo FGM before age 15, and that infibulation is near universal. Critically, however, we find that respondents' understanding of infibulation is rooted in traditional practice, and many girls are now "partially" infibulated-an invasive procedure that girls nonetheless see as an improvement over the past. These shifts reflect religious leaders' efforts to eliminate traditional infibulation--and the health risks it entails--by promoting "less invasive" types of FGM as a requirement of Islam. We also find evidence of emergent medicalization of the practice, as mothers-who are the primary decision-makers-seek to further reduce risks. Adult and adolescent respondents agree that FGM is a deeply embedded social norm, but distinguish between FGM as a perceived religious requirement, and infibulation as a cultural requirement. For girls and women, the importance of FGM is framed around social acceptance, whereas boys and men focus on FGM as a requirement for marriage as it allows families to control girls' sexuality. The article concludes by reflecting on the implications of our findings for programming in high-prevalence contexts. Key conclusions include that FGM interventions should not rely on empowering individuals as "champions of change" but rather prioritize engagement with whole communities, and should be open in the short term to incremental harm-reduction approaches.