This paper researches Burkina Faso, an African country that is known for its performance of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), a form of violence against women and girls. Does a higher level of...Show moreThis paper researches Burkina Faso, an African country that is known for its performance of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), a form of violence against women and girls. Does a higher level of education for women decrease the performance of FGM in developing countries? The research is about FGM in Burkina Faso which eventually allows us to say more about the influence of educational levels on the performance of FGM in general. In Burkina Faso, we have seen a decrease in the prevalence of FGM over the last 10 years. Even though FGM has been banned since 1996 the practice is still very common. Even now more than 70% of girls and women underwent this operation (Equality Now, 2021). We will do a statistical analysis to show the relationship between education and the prevalence of FGM. We also highlight the social norms and convention theory that lay behind this causation. The findings indicate that a higher level of education increases the chance that a woman is uncircumcised, controlling for Type of Place of Residence, Religion, Worked in the Last 12 Months, Ever Heard of Female Cutting, Wealth, and Husbands/Partner’s Education. We also found that the odds of being uncircumcised rise when women have educated partners. When educated men become more willing to marry an uncircumcised woman it suggests a break, caused by education, from the social norms and beliefs that form the traditional practice of FGM within Burkina Faso.Show less
This BA thesis deals with the persistence of FGM in Kenya despite various attempts to erase the practice, looking in particular at underlying social dimensions.
In Egypt, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) continues to have a high prevalence, despite the recent criminalization of the practice. One possible reason why FGM holds on to its important position in...Show moreIn Egypt, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) continues to have a high prevalence, despite the recent criminalization of the practice. One possible reason why FGM holds on to its important position in society is its link to the social and personal identity of the women themselves as well as their families. (Arts-based) Peacebuilding initiatives have used this link between FGM and identity to encourage Egyptians to abandon the practice. In the following thesis, this link is examined more closely, and it is examined why the link to identity is so important to peacebuilding initiatives.Show less
