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

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.

Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), also known as female circumcision, is a practice which involves the cutting away of part or the whole of the external female genital organs. The practice has no health benefits, and it harms girls and women in many ways. The migration of girls and women to high-resource countries such as the Netherlands, has led to the development of programs to prevent FGM/C and to care for those affected by FGM/C.The purpose of this study was to explore the attitude and intention of migrant populations in the Netherlands towards FGM/C. The results of this study may be relevant in the development of interventional programs to promote the elimination of FGM/C. Our findings showed that the study participants had no intention to perform FGM/C on their daughters. Many participants may have changed their attitudes towards the abandonment of FGM/C. The social pressure to perform FGM/C seems to be lower in the Netherlands when compared to the country of origin, however, some pressure to perform FGM/C still exist after migration. In this regard, educational programs are necessary, with an emphasis on empowering vulnerable groups such as newly arrived migrants in facing social pressure.

The prevalence and risk of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting among migrant women and girls in the Netherlands: An extrapolation method.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was (I) to estimate the prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) and distribution of types of FGM/C among migrant girls and women in the Netherlands, and (II) to estimate the number of migrant girls at risk of being cut in the immediate future. METHODS: National population-based survey data regarding FGM/C prevalence were applied to female migrants in the Netherlands who migrated from 29 countries with available nationally representative data on FGM/C. RESULTS: As of January 1st 2018, there were 95,588 female migrants residing in the Netherlands, originating from 29 countries with available nationally representative data on FGM/C. Our findings suggest that about 41,000 women had undergone FGM/C, of which 37% had Type III (infibulation). In total 4,190 girls are estimated to be at risk of FGM/C in the next 20 years, of whom 394 were first-generation girls. CONCLUSION: These findings show the urgency to develop appropriate strategies and policies to prevent FGM/C, to protect girls and women at risk of the practice, and to provide adequate services and support for those affected by FGM/C in the Netherlands.