Ending FGC in Africa: A Look at Four Approaches November 6, 2000

Best source on this subject 1999 World Health Organization report: “Anti-FGM Programmes in Africa: What Works and What Doesn’t” http://www.who.int/frh-whd/PDFfiles/Programmes

The approaches Criminalization Education Substitutive ritual Intra-marrying pledge associations Medicalization (On Wednesday)

Criminalization In 1990s, growth in international pressure modest growth in number of African governments banning FGC of 24 countries with FGC, 8 have national bans

“Success” of criminalization Criminalization supported by some anti-FGC groups as creating “supportive context” PR offices and media highlight anecdotal “successes”: example of Burkina Faso’s National Committee on Excision

General governmental lack of will and means 6 of 8 countries with national bans have no budget or special office to investigate cases Burkina Faso and Ghana have budget and personnel, but few witnesses Burkina Faso: since 1990, only 36 cases have gone to trial, only 10 are in jail Ghana: since 1994, only 2 trials, both acquitted

“Reactance” Clandestinity Rashes Drives FGC underground: night-time rituals, in forest instead of village; lookouts Rashes Kenya in 1992; Sudan in 1995; Gambia early 1990s fears of new laws or enforcement lead to rashes overall average decline in age of cutting (by 4-5 years) decline in ritual (fear of discovery, disconnection from age)

Criminalization makes education more difficult Hard to undertake thorough education in context of fear of jail “How do you discuss something that isn’t supposed to be happening? The girls are afraid we will turn them in to the authorities.”

Educational programs 70% of all anti-FGM work on NGOs is devoted to raising awareness of medical consequences women’s health workshops literature dissemination media

The impact of such programs: a mixed bag Education an essential precondition for behavioral change But where the main activity is simply education, change is spotty and slow Mali: in one study, only 2% of women exposed to workshops said they were convinced excision causes severe health problems Burkina Faso: after 6 years of educational campaigns, only 19% of exposed women convinced of dangers of FGC

Information often irrelevant or inaccurate Anti-FGC campaigns emerged out of heat of 1980s: used El-Dareer data “This isn’t what we do here!” (Gambia) “Bolokoli cannot obstruct menstruation!” (Mali) “But no excisor forces herself on parents!” (Burkina Faso)

Information often abstract and time-consuming “What do I care about all these numbers?” “For this I gave up a morning in the market?”

Information often offensive “Excisors do what they do from love and caring. Not to ‘butcher’ anyone!” (Egypt) TV info-mercial showing old man informing on co-villagers (Burkina Faso)

But… educational programs can work In some villages in Eritrea, up to 50% of girls now disapprove of FGC In many villages and towns with high-quality programs, attitudes are changing: in Gambia, growth of anti-FGC sentiment in targeted villages, up to 60% (Association for the Promotion of Gambian Women’s Health -- AGPWA)

Features of effective educational programs Up-to-date, accurate, realistic information Hands-on projects for improvement of women’s lives “Working” seminars Work through pre-existing women’s groups Based in learner-generated materials: proverbs, plays, etc. Non-directive, non-preachy

But…attitudinal change is not the same as behavioral change In Eritrea, good educational campaigns since late 1980s 50% of girls and young mothers disapprove/have serious doubts about FGC 95% of girls continue to be cut

Substitute rites of passage About 20% of all anti-FGM programs are experimenting with these Most successful: some villages in Kenya and Gambia

“Cutting with words” in Gambia Format of traditional ritual girls sit for 12 hrs/day eat low to ground elder women discipline and teach girls dance, drum, feast, sing, make a pledge

Why it seems to be working Framed as a “revival” of sacred traditions Framed as a way to “discipline” youth Anti-FGC message surrounded by lots of “secret” knowledge about women’s health Excisers treated with great respect

Criticism of the new rituals In Gambia: “What we need is not a new ritual that once again teaches girls obedience and their proper role. We need to teach girls to be themselves and to be free, not to be subordinate. . . I am against FGC not just because of the cutting, but because of what it represents: the same old patriarchal values!”

Intra-marrying pledge associations Just starting in Senegal: perhaps the most promising initiative of all July 31, 1997: village of Malicounda made a public declaration to abandon FGC Today: 30 villages throughout Senegal have done this

How can they have done this? Proximity to Wolof Deep education program village income-generating projects broad health project (anti-diarrhea) “Ritual” justifications increasingly seen as hypocritical school at odds with seclusion growing awareness that it is un-Islamic declining age of girls cut: inconsistent with initiation