Attitude toward female genital mutilation among Somali and Harari people, Eastern Ethiopia

World

World

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Background: Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a worldwide problem, and it is practiced by many communities in Africa and Asia as well as immigrants from those areas. This practice results in short- and long-term health consequences on women’s health. Like many other developing countries, FGM is widely practiced in Ethiopia, especially among Somali and Harari ethnic groups. Despite intensive campaigns against FGM in Ethiopia, since 2011, it has been practiced in the aforementioned communities. There is no recent information as to whether these campaigns have an impact on the attitude and practice of the community regarding FGM. This qualitative research was aimed at exploring the attitudes of Somali and Harari people between 18 and 65 years toward FGM.
Methods: A purposive sampling technique was used to recruit 64 (32 in each region) participants. Data were collected from October to December 2015 in Somali and Harari Regions.
Results: The findings showed that there was a strong support for the continuation of the practice among female discussants in Somali region, whereas male discussants from the same region and the majority of the participants from Harari region had a positive attitude toward the discontinuation of the practice. Marriageability was the major reason for practicing FGM in Somali region, whereas making girls calm, sexually inactive, and faithful for their husbands were mentioned in Harari region. Although young men in both the regions prefer to marry uncircumcised girls, the study showed that there are some differences in the attitude toward the FGM practice between the people in the two regions.
Conclusion: The findings show that there is an attitudinal difference between the people in the two regions, which calls for behavioral change communication using women-centered approach and culturally appropriate strategies. As young people in both the regions had the intention to marry uncircumcised girls, there has to be a strong advocacy and multisectoral collaboration to stop FGM in both the regions.

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https://www.dovepress.com/attitude-...li-and-harari-peop-peer-reviewed-article-IJWH
 
PhaedrusHunt

PhaedrusHunt

So Somali men are indeed anti-fgm and would like the practice abolished but Somali women themselves continue to support it. I’m looking forward to how these sjw xalimos are going to spin this now.
 
Muji

Muji

VIP
So all these women were being cut so they could improve their chances of getting married to a farax and to guarantee their virginity

I don’t care if men’s attitude has shifted what matters is that the whole thing started to please MEN.

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Prince Abubu

Prince Abubu

So another example of Somali female stupidity and hypocrisy. I guess all those twitter feminists who flash their vaginas for a living can stop preaching about toxic masculinity and other nonsense...? No? Carry on, then.
 
Yukon_Niner

Yukon_Niner

Ugaas of the supreme gentleman
VIP
Knowles said:
So all these women were being cut so they could improve their chances of getting married to a farax and to guarantee their virginity

I don’t care if men’s attitude has shifted what matters is that the whole thing started to please MEN.

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Somali women self-harming in the name of getting a guy and your still blaming Somali men when they clearly don't want it. I don't really know how to tell you this but you made yourselves sound even stupider.

I wonder do all the Asian and cadaan men you're supposedly pulling love it as well? Do you blame them for your need to wear copious amounts of make-up?:icon lol:
 
H

HalimaJ

Yukon_Niner said:
Somali women self-harming in the name of getting a guy and your still blaming Somali men when they clearly don't want it. I don't really know how to tell you this but you made yourselves sound even stupider.

I wonder do all the Asian and cadaan men you're supposedly pulling love it as well? Do you blame them for your need to wear copious amounts of make-up?:icon lol:
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Somali men have only recently changed their opinion.

Historically, FGM was practised because MEN believed that it guaranteed a woman's virginity. It is men that pushed this practise and the women that push for its continuation are the women that have been brainwashed and victims of this brutality.

Its very easy as a western raised man to accuse Somali women of being hypocritical. Women that believe in FGM have been socialised to think of their bodies as unclean and less than, if they do not have this barbaric practise done to themselves and their daughters. Furthermore, Somali culture is a patriarchal one, and women back home are raised to put the needs of men first and foremost.

Less than 30 years ago, the average Faraax wouldn't even have gone near an uncircumcised woman. The women back home that enforce it are women that are from that generation.

How are you comparing FGM to makeup? What a dumb point.
 
VixR

VixR

Veritas
HalimaJ said:
Somali men have only recently changed their opinion.

Historically, FGM was practised because MEN believed that it guaranteed a woman's virginity. It is men that pushed this practise and the women that push for its continuation are the women that have been brainwashed and victims of this brutality.

Its very easy as a western raised man to accuse Somali women of being hypocritical. Women that believe in FGM have been socialised to think of their bodies as unclean and less than, if they do not have this barbaric practise done to themselves and their daughters. Furthermore, Somali culture is a patriarchal one, and women back home are raised to put the needs of men first and foremost.

Less than 30 years ago, the average Faraax wouldn't even have gone near an uncircumcised woman. The women back home that enforce it are women that are from that generation.

How are you comparing FGM to makeup? What a dumb point.
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Sometimes I wonder if they’re sincere on this site, or just pretending to be dumb. I’ve noticed I have that thought at least 3x as much on the male users vs the female ones.

It isn’t a awesome feat of intelligence to think through the points you made, and yet look at the male comments in comparison.
 
Yukon_Niner

Yukon_Niner

Ugaas of the supreme gentleman
VIP
HalimaJ said:
Somali men have only recently changed their opinion.

Historically, FGM was practised because MEN believed that it guaranteed a woman's virginity. It is men that pushed this practise and the women that push for its continuation are the women that have been brainwashed and victims of this brutality.

Its very easy as a western raised man to accuse Somali women of being hypocritical. Women that believe in FGM have been socialised to think of their bodies as unclean and less than, if they do not have this barbaric practise done to themselves and their daughters. Furthermore, Somali culture is a patriarchal one, and women back home are raised to put the needs of men first and foremost.

Less than 30 years ago, the average Faraax wouldn't even have gone near an uncircumcised woman. The women back home that enforce it are women that are from that generation.

How are you comparing FGM to makeup? What a dumb point.
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If Somali men are able to change their opinion and understand a disgusting harmful practice is bad for you why can't Somali women do the same? It shouldn't take much to realise how horrible FGM is. Men don't push for it so why do women still propagate this shit to their daughters?

If the needs of men are put first I stil don't understand why FGM is occurring considering most men support its discontinuation. And do you mind providing a study on attitudes to non-circumsised females in Somali regions 3 decades ago.

My last paragraph was a joke poking fun at @Knowles specifically I'm failing to see how this was a dumb point.
 
IstarZ

IstarZ

A mere finger can’t obscure the sun.
They sanction the mutilation of a young innocent girl in the event that she sins in the future.

You just cannot argue with this logic.
 
H

HalimaJ

Yukon_Niner said:
If Somali men are able to change their opinion and understand a disgusting harmful practice is bad for you why can't Somali women do the same? It shouldn't take much to realise how horrible FGM is. Men don't push for it so why do women still propagate this shit to their daughters?

If the needs of men are put first I stil don't understand why FGM is occurring considering most men support its discontinuation. And do you mind providing a study on attitudes to non-circumsised females in Somali regions 3 decades ago.

My last paragraph was a joke poking fun at @Knowles specifically I'm failing to see how this was a dumb point.
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I doubt there is a study available, but anyone that knows anything about Somali society knows that FGM was the norm 3 decades ago and the prevailing narrative of that time was that women who do not undergo FGM are dirty.

Men have only recently began to support the discontinuation of FGM, its a recent thing, yet you are trying to spin the narrative that the women have been the problem all along, when in fact FGM is indeed a patriarchal invention to keep women 'pure'. That indeed is a fact.

The women that are for FGM are victims themselves. They have been made to feel that their body is dirty without FGM. This is something that Somali women back home have been taught for generations. They have been told that they will never marry or be respected by men if they do not have this proceedure.

Men have never been made to feel that way. How do you expect women that have been physically and psychologically traumatised to completely change their minds in less than two decades when fear has been drummed into them since childhood?

What trauma do Somali men have to deal with?
 
Yukon_Niner

Yukon_Niner

Ugaas of the supreme gentleman
VIP
HalimaJ said:
I doubt there is a study available, but anyone that knows anything about Somali society knows that FGM was the norm 3 decades ago and the prevailing narrative of that time was that women who do not undergo FGM are dirty.

Men have only recently began to support the discontinuation of FGM, its a recent thing, yet you are trying to spin the narrative that the women have been the problem all along, when in fact FGM is indeed a patriarchal invention to keep women 'pure'. That indeed is a fact.

The women that are for FGM are victims themselves. They have been made to feel that their body is dirty without FGM. This is something that Somali women back home have been taught for generations. They have been told that they will never marry or be respected by men if they do not have this proceedure.

Men have never been made to feel that way. How do you expect women that have been physically and psychologically traumatised to completely change their minds in less than two decades when fear has been drummed into them since childhood?

What trauma do Somali men have to deal with?
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I'm yet to see anything proving that narrative or that men only started supporting discontinuation recently. I'm yet to see your facts being backed up by actual studies.

And again if it's just women telling themselves how dirty they are because they haven't cut off part of their genitals, in what world is that because of Somali men? In all the time I've spent in Somalia I've only heard FGM was good from women. If your first thought to feel pure is to mutilate yourself then that's just you being an idiot.

I'm pretty sure most people including men in Somalia are psychologically traumatised let alone physically. If they can change their views so can women, FGM serves absolutely no purpose and I really can't see why that can't easily be realised.

I'm pretty sure most Somali men have to deal with growing up in a warzone most of their life. Some great mental gymnastics here if you think Somali men don't face trauma.
 
Libaaxseendheer

Libaaxseendheer

Men dont care for snipping the vag. Its old women usually grandmas who force on the tradition. According to history the tradition was started by sarah wife of abraham. She was jelous of her slave hagara having a son for abraham. She wanted to punish her but didnt want to cut her face or anywhere noticeable so she snipped her privates.

The whole thing is jeolousy of women towards each other.
 
IstarZ

IstarZ

A mere finger can’t obscure the sun.
Yukon_Niner said:
I'm yet to see anything proving that narrative or that men only started supporting discontinuation recently. I'm yet to see your facts being backed up by actual studies.

And again if it's just women telling themselves how dirty they are because they haven't cut off part of their genitals, in what world is that because of Somali men? In all the time I've spent in Somalia I've only heard FGM was good from women. If your first thought to feel pure is to mutilate yourself then that's just you being an idiot.

I'm pretty sure most people including men in Somalia are psychologically traumatised let alone physically. If they can change their views so can women, FGM serves absolutely no purpose and I really can't see why that can't easily be realised.

I'm pretty sure most Somali men have to deal with growing up in a warzone most of their life. Some great mental gymnastics here if you think Somali men don't face trauma.
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Have you heard of social conditioning?

Girls are taught from a young age their family’s honor is between their legs. Cutting off parts of their body is to control their sexuality and keep intact (pun intended) the oh-so delicate social reputation.

Men suffer trauma too, of course. Older somali men suffer from displacement, depression, and PTSD and the younger ones suffer from false nostalgia, hypocrisy and delusions of grandeur.
 
H

HalimaJ

Yukon_Niner said:
I'm yet to see anything proving that narrative or that men only started supporting discontinuation recently. I'm yet to see your facts being backed up by actual studies.

And again if it's just women telling themselves how dirty they are because they haven't cut off part of their genitals, in what world is that because of Somali men? In all the time I've spent in Somalia I've only heard FGM was good from women. If your first thought to feel pure is to mutilate yourself then that's just you being an idiot.

I'm pretty sure most people including men in Somalia are psychologically traumatised let alone physically. If they can change their views so can women, FGM serves absolutely no purpose and I really can't see why that can't easily be realised.

I'm pretty sure most Somali men have to deal with growing up in a warzone most of their life. Some great mental gymnastics here if you think Somali men don't face trauma.
Click to expand...


By trauma, i meant trauma surrounding FGM. Men do not go through it.

FGM is orginally a patriarchal concept that is a fact. So, in your words, how do you think it started? You think that women woke up and decided to inflict pain on themselves?

Its laughable that you completely ignore/dismiss the historical origins of FGM. In a patriarchal society, women's virginity and pureness is linked to the families honor. Women, were not telling themselves it, society that is run by men conditioned them. In a patriarchal society like Somalia, men historically believed that the only way a woman's virginity will be intact is by sewing her up.

Women, gain nothing but pain from FGM, whilst historically men got a woman they believe to be 100% pure.
 
H

HalimaJ

Yukon_Niner said:
I'm yet to see anything proving that narrative or that men only started supporting discontinuation recently. I'm yet to see your facts being backed up by actual studies.

And again if it's just women telling themselves how dirty they are because they haven't cut off part of their genitals, in what world is that because of Somali men? In all the time I've spent in Somalia I've only heard FGM was good from women. If your first thought to feel pure is to mutilate yourself then that's just you being an idiot.

I'm pretty sure most people including men in Somalia are psychologically traumatised let alone physically. If they can change their views so can women, FGM serves absolutely no purpose and I really can't see why that can't easily be realised.

I'm pretty sure most Somali men have to deal with growing up in a warzone most of their life. Some great mental gymnastics here if you think Somali men don't face trauma.
Click to expand...



Which gender is obsessed with female purity? Everywhere we go in the world, there is a system in place men utilise to enforce female purity. You have wedding day bedsheet tradition, lack of autonomy, honor killing, acid attacks, shaming and finally FGM.
All of which are there to keep 'women in line'. There is no such system in place for men. In every society, men have anxiety surrounding female sexuality.

Yet, here you are trying to argue with me about the historical and social origins of FGM.
 
Yukon_Niner

Yukon_Niner

Ugaas of the supreme gentleman
VIP
I'm getting a headache from this, how the hell do you find the energy to just pump out posts?

@HalimaJ I will concede when you post a source for whatever claim you made. You can call yourself the winner of this argument. I can't be bothered to reply anymore.

Also I wasn't arguing in good faith so here's my formal apology and so asc.
 
Killua

Killua

HalimaJ said:
By trauma, i meant trauma surrounding FGM. Men do not go through it.

FGM is orginally a patriarchal concept that is a fact. So, in your words, how do you think it started? You think that women woke up and decided to inflict pain on themselves?

Its laughable that you completely ignore/dismiss the historical origins of FGM. In a patriarchal society, women's virginity and pureness is linked to the families honor. Women, were not telling themselves it, society that is run by men conditioned them. In a patriarchal society like Somalia, men historically believed that the only way a woman's virginity will be intact is by sewing her up.

Women, gain nothing but pain from FGM, whilst historically men got a woman they believe to be 100% pure.
Click to expand...
Ur doing up mental gymnastics and havent provided a single shred of evidence to corroborate what you have been singing to the choir.

I was in Somlia early this year and the few men I have had the convo with have all made it clear FGM is a disgusting practise. Hurdada ka kac
 
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