Azza Al-Kharousi

Female Genital Mutilation in the Middle East Azza Al-Kharousi

Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a form of gender-based violence that is prevalent among a number of patriarchal cultures across Africa and into the Middle East. Typically practiced on children under the age of ten, it is a violation of human rights that results in serious emotional and physical trauma. To date, the majority of the data available on the topic of FGM/C originates from studies conducted in Africa. While there has been research published regarding FGM/C in the Middle East, the data is sparse. The purpose of this study was to investigate and report upon the prevalence of FGM/C in the Middle Eastern country of Oman and to determine which attributes among the surveyed population were associated with the decision to cut their own daughter(s). Between October and December 2017, 200 females were surveyed at a medical clinic in the ad-Dakhiliya province of Oman. The vast majority of the study population was of Omani descent, married and between the ages of 19 and 45 years old. Importantly, 95.5% of the women surveyed self-reported themselves as having previously undergone FGM/C. Of particular interest is that 86.0% of the study population reported that they planned to-or had already- subjected their daughter(s) to FGM/C. By conducting a chi-square test of independence, it was revealed that variables significantly associated with the decision to cut their daughter(s) were: having undergone FGM/C themselves (X2 = 38.60, p-value