FemaleGenitalMutilation(FGM):ASurveyonKnowledge,Attitudes,and

PracticeamongHouseholdsintheIraqiKurdistanRegion

OVERVIEW

ThisreportisbasedonthefirsteverKAPStudyonFGMintheKurdistanRegionofIraq(KRI).Alsothe
firstKAPSurveyintheMiddleEastNorthAfricaregion,itprovidesnewandimportantperspectiveon
FGM.ItspurposeistoidentifyandcharacterizebarrierstoeradicatingthepracticeofFGMintheKRI,so
astoinformthedesignofinterventionsthatcaneffectivelyaddressthesebarriers.Thefindingsarebased
onasurveyof827householdsconductedinErbilandSulaimaniyahgovernorates,includingGarmyanas
asubdistrict.Amongthekeyfindings:

FGMiswidespreadinKRIbuthasdeclinedinrecentyears

58.5%ofthe258womenrespondingreportedbeingmu latedthemselves,with61%inErbiland
55.8%inSulaimaniyah
29.3%ofwomenwithdaughtersreportedtheirdaughtersweremu lated
44.9%ofallrespondentsreportedatleastonefemalefamilymemberwasmu lated
Fiveyearsoldwasthemeanageatwhichdaughtersandotherfemalerelativeswerereportedto
havebeenmutilated
Mutilationratesincreasedroughlywithage,suggestingthepracticeofFGMhasdeclinedover
time

CONSEQUENCESOFFGM

MostpeopleknowFGMcausesmedicalproblems
Morethan80%ofallrespondentsknewmu la oncausesreducedsexualdesire(82.2%);reduced
sexualsa sfac on(80.6%);lessornosexualpleasureduringintercourse
Half(50.8%)knewmu la oncausespsychologicalproblems,includingsadnessanddepression,
anger,anxietyandfear,feelingsofinferiority,shyness,signsoftraumatization,lowselfesteem
andlackofselfconfidence
About onequarter knew mu la on causes menstrual problems (27.2%), cysts (27.1%), and
abscesses(22.7%)

Butmanyremainunawareofthemedicalrisks
56.6%ofallrespondentsdidntknowifFGMcauseslabordicul es
35.1%saidtheydidntknowifmu lationcauseshealthproblems
36.8percentofmendidntknowifmu la onharmedwomen

ManywomenhavepsychosocialproblemsfromFGM
Ofwomenreportingongoingproblemsrelatedtotheirmutilation:
64.3%reportedrela onshipproblemswiththeirhusband
26.8%psychologicalproblems
25.0%problemswithselfesteem
14.3%problemstrus ngotherpeople

WHOSUPPORTSFGM?

MostpeoplesaytheydontpersonallysupportFGM
72.3%reportedtheydontsupportFGMatall
13.8%dontsupportitmuch
13.0%supportmu la onmuchorverymuch;9.7%ofwomenand16.8%ofmen

Yet, families, traditional birth attendants and religious leaders are seen as the major supporters of
mutilationinthecommunity
WhoarethemainsupportersofFGMinthecommunity?

Women
Men
Families

59.7%
48.9%
Birthattendants
26.5%
20.9%
Religiousleaders
36.5%
19.8%

And,mothersareseenasthebiggestmutilationsupportersinthefamily
Mothers

75.0%
Fathers

24.4%
Grandmothers
16.6%
Mothersinlaw
9.4%

MothersalsomostlycontroltheFGMdecision
68.8%ofrespondentssaidthatthemotherwasresponsiblefordecisiontomu lateherdaughter
22.1%saiditwasadecisionmadebyparentsasacouple

Butmostrespondentsbelievebothparentsshouldbeinvolved
63.4%ofrespondentssaidthemotherandfathertogethershoulddecideaboutFGM
28.1%thoughtthatthemothershouldmakethedecision

REASONSBEHINDFGM

Traditionandreligionareseenasthebiggestreasonsformutilation
AskedabouttheiropiniononthegeneralreasonsFGMispracticed:
66.1%respondeditisatradi ontobefollowed
46.0%thinkFGMisrelatedtoreligiousbeliefs
13.4%itisduetocommunitypressure
8.1%citedfamilypressure

...Butmostthinkitsbadtradition
67.5%disagreedthatFGMshouldbemaintainedasatradi on
45.5%stronglydisagreed

Educationisalsoafactor.Mutilationismorelikelyifparentscantread
Ofthosewhohadcircumciseddaughters,57.0%couldnotreadatall,andanother18.5%could
readonlywithdifficulty

REPRODUCTIVEHEALTHINFORMATION
Mothersarethemainsourceofinformationaboutreproductiveandsexualhealthissues
57.6%ofwomenreportedtheylearnedaboutreproduc veandsexualhealthissuesfromtheir
mothers.

Clinicsarethepreferredsourceofreproductivehealthservices
Askedwherereproductivehelpandadviceisacquired:
61.6%ofrespondentsnamedclinics
43.4%namedgovernmentclinics
5.0%namedtradi onalbirtha endants

Askedaboutfrequencyofaccessingreproductivehealthcare:
43.3%reportedtwiceayear
17.2%onceayear
6.8%never

ButfamilyisstilltheprimarysourceofFGMinformation
AskedtheirprimarysourceofinformationaboutFGM:
58.2%respondedfamily
21.6%television,radio,andnewspapers
18.1%friends
13.5%neighbors
5.8%religiousleaders
1.9%nongovernmentalorganizations

WHATCANBEDONE?

MostthinkFGMshouldbeeradicated
68.1%thoughtFGMshouldnotbeprac ced,evenundermedicallycontrolledconditions
67.5%thoughtFGMshouldbeeradicated
71.9%agreedFGMshouldbeprevented
66.1%statedthatwomenshouldbeprotectedfromFGM
68.3%saidtheywouldprefertheirdaughternotbecircumcised

MorethanhalfknowofthelawagainstFGMandnearly75%believeitcanhelpreduceFGM
57.5%ofallrespondentsheardaboutActNo.8:TheLawAgainstDomes cViolenceinthe
KurdistanRegionofIraq,whichincludesanarticlemakingFGMillegalintheIRK
74.4%believedthatalawcouldhelptoreducethepracticeofFGM

ThevastmajorityfavoreducationonFGMfortheirdaughters
90.4%ofallrespondentswouldwelcometheeduca onoftheirdaughtersaboutFGManditsharms.
Askedwhoistherightgrouptoshareinformation:
45.2%namedreligiousleaders
40.6%healthprofessionals
33%socialworkers
21.4%NGOs
6.1%tradi onalbirtha endants

More men (50.0%)preferredreligiousleadersversuswomen (40.0%),while morewomen(43.5%)

thanmen(37.6%)preferredhealthprofessionalsforprovidingFGMeducationandinformation.

AndFGMawarenesscampaignsappeartobeworking,especiallyonTV
64.2%ofrespondenthadheardofaFGMawarenesscampaign.Ofthese:
85.6%becameawareofFGMcampaignsthroughtelevision(TV)
16.2%throughnewspapers
13.3%throughradio
11.4%throughcivilsocietyNGOs

TVisthepreferredsourceofFGMinformation
52.5%choseTVastheirpreferredchoice
28.5%healthprofessionals
23.4%familyandrela ves