Mobilizing communities to abandon FGM: Lessons from Egypt

Although Egypt passed a law banning Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), 97% of women continue to be circumcised due to social pressure. Changing behavior requires both a top down approach and a bottom up approach: educating all community members on the life-long effects of FGM on women's health and their marital relationship. This presentation includes an overview of and results from the Female Genital Abandonment program implemented by the Centre for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA) and local partners in Egypt from 2004-2006. The community mobilization program included 40 communities across four governorates, reaching more than 15,500 people through 379 community outreach activities. The project tapped respected local doctors and Muslim leaders to speak against FGM, and identified “positive deviants” who chose not to circumcise their daughters to stand against FGM. It also included intensive home visits and outreach to families of at-risk girls. To determine program effectiveness, baseline and end-line data were collected using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Methodology included focus groups, in-depth interviews, and tracking of families to assess attitudes, behavioral intention and whether or not girls underwent FGM. Although impact varied depending on the communities involved, the program's activities convinced some families (1068 out of 1884 families) not to circumcise their daughters. Follow-up visits to families who had received home visits showed that the majority did not intend to circumcise their daughters. Views of religious leaders and physicians were important in changing community members' intention to abandon FGM.