Attitude and intention of migrant populations in the Netherlands regarding female genital mutilation/cutting

Abstract

Background Due to migration, the practice female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) has become an issue of concern in high-resource countries such as the Netherlands. It was therefore of utmost importance to explore the attitude and intention of migrant populations in the Netherlands towards FGM/C, which may be leveraged to promote its elimination. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to explore the attitude and intention of migrant populations in the Netherlands regarding FGM/C. Methods A qualitative study design was employed using Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) as a framework for the analysis. Data were collected using focus-group discussions (FGDs) and individual interviews. The FGDs and individual interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The main topics of the interviews were based on the constructs of TPB (attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and intention). Thus, concerning the development of categories, we opted for a hybrid form using a deductive as well as an inductive approach. Results A total of 55 participants, 15 men and 40 women (9 born in the Netherlands) participated in the study. The findings showed that as a result of migration and regardless of country of origin and gender, many participants have changed their attitudes towards the abandonment of FGM/C. None of the participants intended to have FGM/C performed on their daughters. Generally, the social pressure to perform FGM/C seems to be lower in the Netherlands when compared to the country of origin. Most participants felt confident in their ability to resist social pressure. However, some participants feared that they might succumb to social pressure or feared that their daughters would undergo FGM/C without their consent. Conclusion This study aimed to explore the attitude and intention of migration populations in the Netherlands regarding FGM/C. Our findings showed that the study participants had no intention to perform FGM/C on their daughters. As a consequence of acculturation process, interest in the practice of FGM/C could wane following migration. Nonetheless, some pressure to perform FGM/C still exists after migration. Newly arrived migrants and those more vulnerable to social pressure, may benefit from educational interventions that increases knowledge and awareness about various aspects of the practice, with an emphasis on empowering those individuals in facing social pressure.

Investigating Factors Associated with Migration and Cultural Adaptation in Relation to Change in Attitudes and Behavior towards Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) among Populations from FGM/C-Practicing Countries Living in Western Countries: A Scoping Review

“…This scoping review is part of a growing literature exploring factors influencing attitude shifts toward FGM/C among migrating populations in Western countries from regions where FGM/C is prevalent. Most participants in the reviewed studies expressed opposition to FGM/C in Western countries [17,19,21,23,24,[26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33]. The results emphasize that factors contributing to attitude and behavior shifts regarding FGM/C can be explained by seven prominent factors linked with the sub-categories described below.…”

“…The second factor contributing to shifting attitudes towards FGM/C was the recognition that the practice was not religiously mandated, as found in the study by Gele et al A total of 38 out of 39 participants expressed the belief that FGM/C was not a religious obligation, viewing this aspect as a significant reason for their decision to reject the tradition [17]. A majority of participants from Somalia living in the Netherlands maintained that it is inaccurate to claim that FGM/C is 'Sunna' in Islam, clarifying that only male circumcision holds the status of 'Sunna' in Islam [28]. Furthermore, participants living in Spain reported that FGM/C is a cultural practice rather than a religious one [18,25].…”

“…The total score (out of 20 possible) categorizes papers as low (0-10), moderate (11)(12)(13), or high quality (14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20). For quantitative observational cross-sectional studies, the Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS) checklist was employed, with 20 questions scored similarly, resulting in categorization as low (0-19), moderate (20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30), or high quality (31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38)(39)(40), based on the overall score [16]. Sixteen studies were classified as being of high methodological quality, and the remaining one was deemed to be of moderate quality; none were rated as poor.…”

“…Studies were conducted in various Western countries, such as Norway [17,20,21,27], The Netherlands [28], Spain [18,25], Italy [29], Sweden [22,23], Belgium [30], Australia [31,32], the United States [19,24], and Canada [33]. One study took place in both Switzerland and Sudan [26].…”

“…One study focused on young adults of 16 to 22 years old [27], while all remaining studies included participants who were 18 years old and above. Most participants predominantly originated from communities from East or West African countries [18][19][20][24][25][26][28][29][30][31][32][33], and five studies included solely participants originating from Somalia [17,[21][22][23]27].…”