Female Genital Mutilation in Iraqi Kurdistan: Description and Associated Factors

Abstract

The high prevalence of female genital mutilation has been a concern in Iraqi Kurdistan. This study was undertaken to estimate its prevalence and describe factors associated with its occurrence. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken from March to April 2011 of females aged up to 20 years using interviews and clinical examination. The survey included 1,508 participants with mean age of 13.5 years (SD 5.6). Overall female genital mutilation prevalence was 23%, and the mean age at which it had been performed was 4.6 years (SD 2.4). Type I (partial or total removal of the clitoris) comprised 76% of those who had had female genital mutilation; in 79% of cases the decision to perform it was made by the mother; and in 54% of cases it was performed by traditional birth attendants/midwives. Women aged 16 years and over were more likely to have had female genital mutilation compared to children aged below 6 years (OR 11.9, p < .001). Children of uneducated mothers were eight times as likely to have had genital mutilation compared to children of mothers with over nine years of education (OR 8.0, p < .001). Among women aged 17 years and younger, 34% of those who were married had been circumcised versus 17% of those who were not married (p < .001). Participants residing in the northeast of Kurdistan region were more likely to have been circumcised. The study results show that female genital mutilation is a frequent practice in Iraqi Kurdistan. Attention and intervention is needed to address this aspect of the well-being of girls and women.

Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting among Women of Somali and Kurdish Origin in Finland

“…In our study, having no school education was strongly associated with FGM/C, which is in line with previous studies . Refaat et al showed that urban and educated women's daughters are less likely to undergo FGM/C .…”

A Community-Based Intervention: Impact of an Educational Program in Exchanging Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

“…Some women might experience severe physical and mental health problems, while others may appear not to experience any side effect. In contrast, a study conducted in the UK reported that, nearly three quarters of the circumcised girls, who participated in the study, had the procedure performed safely by a doctor within a medical setting [48].…”

Women’s perspectives of female genital cutting: Q-methodology

“…Social and cultural traditions are important reasons for practicing FGC in many settings, which in some instances surpass dictate of religion as the most common reason [19,25]. This is particularly true for Iraqi Kurdistan Region as two other studies have shown that social and cultural traditions are the main reasons for practicing FGC (40.7% to 46.7%) [8,9]. These two studies have also reported a relatively high proportion of women that supported continuation of FGC practice particularly the mutilated participants (36.6% and 28%).…”

“…Religious leaders take varying positions with regard to FGC: some promote it, some consider it irrelevant to religion, and others contribute to its elimination [26,27]. Two other studies from Kurdistan Region reported dictate of religion as a very important reason for practicing FGC (50.3% and 38.8%) [8,9]. …”

“…According to activists and human rights organizations, the prevalence of FGC in Iraqi Kurdistan Region is around 40% [7]. A recent study from the region have reported a prevalence of 58.6% among women at reproductive age (15-49% years) in Erbil City [8], while another study reported a lower prevalence among the females below 20 year old (23%) [9]. The roots of the practice in Kurdistan Region are unclear.…”