Female genital cutting in Egypt: drivers and potential responses

ABSTRACT

Female genital cutting (FGC) is a major issue at the interplay of faith and health in development. The practice is in part faith-inspired, and has clear negative health impacts. The prevalence of FGC remains especially high in Egypt. This article reflects on some of the factors that lead to the perpetuation of the practice by analysing data from the 2014 Survey of Young People in Egypt. The focus is on whether religiosity, acceptance of traditional gender roles and discrimination, attitudes towards women’s autonomy, and age at marriage affect attitudes towards FGC, controlling for other factors. The results suggest that all these factors do indeed play a role.

L'excision est un problème majeur qui se situe à l'angle d'interaction entre la foi et la santé dans le développement. En partie inspirée par la foi, la pratique a des conséquences négatives sur la santé. La prévalence de l'excision demeure particulièrement élevée en Égypte. Cet article se penche sur certains des facteurs de la perpétuation de la pratique en analysant des données de l'enquête sur les jeunes conduite en 2014. La question centrale est de savoir si la religiosité, l'acceptation des rôles de genres traditionnels et de la discrimination fondée sur le sexe, les attitudes vis-à-vis de l'autonomie des femmes, et l'âge au moment du mariage, ont un impact sur les attitudes vis-à-vis de l'excision, avec un contrôle pour les autres facteurs. Les résultats suggèrent que tous ces facteurs ont une influence réelle.

La mutilación genital femenina (mgf) constituye una cuestión importante en aquellas áreas del desarrollo en que confluyen asuntos de fe y de salud. En parte, dicha práctica se inspira en la fe y sin duda incide negativamente en la salud. La prevalencia de la mgf sigue siendo especialmente elevada en Egipto. A partir del análisis de datos recabados por la Encuesta de Jóvenes en Egipto realizada en 2014, el presente artículo examina algunos de los factores que conducen a la perpetuación de esta práctica. En este sentido, el enfoque indaga la incidencia que factores tales como la religiosidad, la aceptación de los roles de género tradicionales y la discriminación, así como las percepciones en torno a la autonomía de las mujeres y la edad a la hora de casarse, tienen en las actitudes hacia la mgf, manteniendo controlados otros factores. Los resultados del estudio sugieren que, en los hechos, todos estos factores influyen en dichas actitudes.

KEYWORDS:

• Gender and diversity – Youth
• Social sector – Health
• Arab States

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Jill Olivier and the anonymous referees for comments on this article. The views expressed in the paper are those of the authors only and need not represent the views of the World Bank, its Executive Directors, or the countries they represent.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Quentin Wodon is a Lead Economist in the Education Global Practice at the World Bank, where he leads global programmes on equity and inclusion in education, child marriage, and out-of-school children, as well as country work. Previously, he managed the World Bank’s unit working on faith and development, served as Lead Poverty Specialist for West and Central Africa, and as Economist/Senior Economist in the Latin American region. He holds graduate degrees in business engineering, economics, and philosophy, and PhDs in Economics, Environmental Science, Health Sciences, and Theology and Religious Studies.

Ali Yedan is a Consultant in the Education Global Practice at the World Bank. He holds a PhD in Economics. He is actively contributing at the World Bank to global research projects on child marriage and out-of-school children, as well as country work.

Els Leye is Assistant Professor attached to the International Centre for Reproductive Health at Ghent University. She holds a PhD in Comparative Sciences of Culture. Her research interests include harmful cultural practices, and more specifically female genital mutilation, forced marriages, and honour-related violence.

Notes

1. See www.hsph.harvard.edu/population/fgm/Egypt.fgm.htm.