Doctoral thesis
OA Policy
English

The influence of migration and cultural adaptation on changing attitudes and behaviours towards female genital mutilation/cutting: risk assessment of FGM/C among Eritrean and Somali communities residing in Geneva

ContributorsSalah, Nasteha
Number of pages115
Award2022-2023 Centre de Liaison des Associations Féminines Genevoises, 2021-2022 Centre Maurice Chalumeau en sciences des sexualités, 2021-2022 Centre de liaison des associations féminines genevoises, 2019-2021 Scholarship Education Fund :Soroptimist International of Europe, Union Suisse Soroptimist
Imprimatur date2025-01-17
Defense date2025-01-17
Abstract

Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) refers to all procedures involving the partial or total removal or other injury to the female external genitalia for non-medical reasons. It affects at least 200 million women and girls across more than 31 countries and can have lasting physical, psychosexual, and quality-of-life impacts. In Switzerland, an estimated 22,000 women and girls are either affected or at risk, with prevalence expected to rise due to immigration. Current estimates rely on an indirect extrapolation method, which has significant limitations: it tends to overestimate the risk of FGM/C while underestimating its prevalence, and it does not account for key social, community, or individual factors. Qualitative studies have shown diverse attitudes and behaviors toward FGM/C among migrant communities in Europe and Switzerland. This research, using mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative), aims to update Switzerland's 2018 data on FGM/C prevalence and risk. It also seeks to identify factors influencing attitude and behavior changes within affected communities, particularly since the first wave of refugees from the Horn of Africa arrived in Geneva in the 1990s.The project’s findings aim to inform and strengthen national and international efforts in sexual and reproductive health by improving risk estimation for girls at risk of FGM/C, guiding health policies, supporting multidisciplinary care, developing targeted community interventions, and providing culturally-informed information to key stakeholders in Geneva and Switzerland.

Keywords
  • Female genital mutilation
  • Female genital cutting
  • Cultural change
  • Attitude
  • Western countries
  • Abandonment of FGM/C
  • FGM
  • FGC
  • Ecological model
  • Migration
  • Switzerland
  • Risk assessment
Citation (ISO format)
SALAH, Nasteha. The influence of migration and cultural adaptation on changing attitudes and behaviours towards female genital mutilation/cutting: risk assessment of FGM/C among Eritrean and Somali communities residing in Geneva. Doctoral Thesis, 2025. doi: 10.13097/archive-ouverte/unige:184431
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Creation09/04/2025 08:06:46
First validation09/04/2025 13:06:01
Update21/08/2025 11:30:21
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