NDLI: Beyond will: the empowerment conditions needed to abandon female genital mutilation in Conakry (Guinea), a focused ethnography

Content Provider	Springer Nature : BioMed Central
Author	Doucet, Marie-Hélène Delamou, Alexandre Manet, Hawa Groleau, Danielle
Abstract	Background Female genital mutilation (FGM) can give rise to immediate and long-term health problems for girls/women. Numerous studies have identified the sociocultural determinants of this tradition, but so far, in a national context where FGM is highly practiced, virtually none have focused on people refusing to have their daughters cut. We therefore aimed to understand the sociocultural dynamics underlying the non-practice of FGM in Guinea, a country which has one of the most prevalent rates of this practice in the world. This research explored the demographic and sociocultural profiles of Guineans who do not practice FGM, as well as their non-practice experience in a context of high FGM prevalence and social pressure. Methods We used a “focused ethnography” methodology and conducted semi-structured individual interviews with 30 women and men from different generations (young adults, parents, grandparents) living in Conakry, Guinea. Results We found that participants 1) do not disclose their non-practicing status in the same way, and 2) have different experiences with social pressure. A typology was created to describe participants as per their various profiles and experiences, which we named as: 1) the “activists”, 2) the “discrete”, 3) the “courageous”, 4) the “strategists”. Discussion Wanting to stop practicing FGM is not enough. The main empowering conditions allowing people to enact their decision not to have their daughters undergo FGM are: benefiting from social support (positive social capital), or being financially independent from the traditional solidarity network (sufficient economic capital). We therefore recommend finding ways to increase women’s/families’ empowerment to enact their decision not to practice FGM, mainly by: 1) providing them with new sources of social support, and 2) supporting them to gain more financial independence, including through schooling and improved access to better-paid employment. Conclusions This study was the first to explore the experience of people who do not practice FGM in a context of high FGM prevalence and social pressure. The results and recommendations of this research can inform strategies for FGM abandonment and therefore contribute to improving or developing intervention strategies that promote the health and well-being of girls and women.
Related Links	https://reproductive-health-journal.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s12978-020-00910-1.pdf
Ending Page	15
Page Count	15
Starting Page	1
File Format	HTM / HTML
ISSN	17424755
DOI	10.1186/s12978-020-00910-1
Journal	Reproductive Health
Issue Number	1
Volume Number	17
Language	English
Publisher	BioMed Central
Publisher Date	2020-05-06
Access Restriction	Open
Subject Keyword	Reproductive Medicine Public Health Maternal and Child Health Qualitative research Focused ethnography Positive deviance Guinea/Conakry Female genital mutilation (FGM) Social capital Economic capital Individualization process Recherche qualitative Ethnographie focalisée Déviance positive Guinée/Conakry Mutilations génitales féminines (MGF) Capital social Capital économique Processus d’individualisation
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Obstetrics and Gynecology Reproductive Medicine
Journal Impact Factor	3.6/2023
5-Year Journal Impact Factor	4/2023

Sl.	Authority	Responsibilities	Communication Details
1	Ministry of Education (GoI), Department of Higher Education	Sanctioning Authority	https://www.education.gov.in/ict-initiatives
2	Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	Host Institute of the Project: The host institute of the project is responsible for providing infrastructure support and hosting the project	https://www.iitkgp.ac.in
3	National Digital Library of India Office, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	The administrative and infrastructural headquarters of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in
4	Project PI / Joint PI	Principal Investigator and Joint Principal Investigators of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in Prof. Saswat Chakrabarti will be added soon
5	Website/Portal (Helpdesk)	Queries regarding NDLI and its services	support@ndl.gov.in
6	Contents and Copyright Issues	Queries related to content curation and copyright issues	content@ndl.gov.in
7	National Digital Library of India Club (NDLI Club)	Queries related to NDLI Club formation, support, user awareness program, seminar/symposium, collaboration, social media, promotion, and outreach	clubsupport@ndl.gov.in
8	Digital Preservation Centre (DPC)	Assistance with digitizing and archiving copyright-free printed books	dpc@ndl.gov.in
9	IDR Setup or Support	Queries related to establishment and support of Institutional Digital Repository (IDR) and IDR workshops	idr@ndl.gov.in

Correction to: Au-delà de la volonté: les conditions d’empowerment nécessaires pour abandonner les mutilations génitales féminines à Conakry (Guinée), une ethnographie focalisée

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Beyond will: the empowerment conditions needed to abandon female genital mutilation in Conakry (Guinea), a focused ethnography

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Correction to: Au-delà de la volonté: les conditions d’empowerment nécessaires pour abandonner les mutilations génitales féminines à Conakry (Guinée), une ethnographie focalisée

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