To explore the patterning, practices, and drivers of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Ethiopia’s Afar region. This article draws on mixed-methods research conducted in 2022 in 18 rural communities in three districts of Ethiopia’s Afar region. Survey data were collected from 1,022 adolescents and their caregivers. Qualitative interviews were conducted with approximately 270 adults and adolescents. The survey found that FGM remains practically universal (97% of sampled adolescent girls), and infibulation remains the norm (87% of girls). Most adolescent girls and caregivers reported that FGM is required by religion and should continue. When queried about the main reason for FGM, however, most cited culture rather than religion. Female caregivers and adolescent girls were more likely to report that FGM has benefits than risks; the reverse was true for male caregivers. Qualitative evidence suggests that even girls who are not reported as infibulated generally, and that the social benefits of FGM––especially regarding controlling girls’ sexuality and facilitating their marriageability––are perceived to outweigh health risks. Where there are shifts in type of FGM, it is largely due to efforts of religious leaders who preach against infibulation and for “milder” types––and the growing scope of fathers to input into mothers’ FGM decision-making and advocate for less invasive types. Eliminating FGM requires focusing on contexts where the practice is most invasive and progress is not yet visible. Given complex intrahousehold and intragenerational dynamics, this will necessitate engaging whole communities with sustained multipronged approaches to shift social norms.

中文翻译：

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埃塞俄比亚阿法尔地区的女性生殖器残割：模式、驱动因素和决策


探索埃塞俄比亚阿法尔地区女性生殖器切割 (FGM) 的模式、做法和驱动因素。本文借鉴了 2022 年在埃塞俄比亚阿法尔地区三个地区的 18 个农村社区进行的混合方法研究。调查数据收集自 1,022 名青少年及其照顾者。对大约 270 名成人和青少年进行了定性访谈。调查发现，女性生殖器切割实际上仍然普遍存在（97% 的青春期女孩抽样），而锁阴仍然很常见（87% 的女孩）。大多数青春期女孩和照顾者报告说，女性生殖器切割是宗教所要求的，应该继续下去。然而，当被问及女性生殖器切割的主要原因时，大多数人提到的是文化而不是宗教。女性看护者和青春期女孩更有可能报告女性生殖器切割的好处多于风险；对于男性护理人员来说，情况正好相反。定性证据表明，即使女孩普遍没有被报告为锁阴，女性生殖器切割的社会效益——特别是在控制女孩的性行为和促进她们的适婚性方面——也被认为超过了健康风险。女性生殖器切割类型发生转变，很大程度上是由于宗教领袖的努力，他们宣扬反对锁阴和“温和”类型——以及父亲越来越多地参与母亲的女性生殖器切割决策并倡导较少侵入性类型。消除女性生殖器切割需要关注这种做法最具侵入性且进展尚不明显的情况。鉴于复杂的家庭内部和代内动态，这将需要整个社区采取持续的多管齐下的方法来改变社会规范。