On May 12th, I attended the webinar, Centring Community in FGM/C Behaviour Change Theory. This webinar was presented by Dr. Bettina Shell-Duncan, a Professor of Anthropology at University of Washington, conducts mixed method bio-cultural research on maternal and child health in sub-Saharan Africa; much of her research focuses on the study of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). Through her work with WHO and UNICEF, she has examined the politics of international campaigns to end FGM/C, and the implications of adopting a health and human rights framework.
The webinar included stories on how theoretical models of behaviour change have been applied to FGM/C programs over time, and how this impacts the strategies to shift community beliefs about FGM/C.
FGM/C activists aim to change beliefs about FGM/C and behaviour: we must not only work towards diminishing support for the practice, but also the act itself. Dr. Shell-Duncan explained the importance of this distinction, as mothers often do not make decisions about FGM/C alone. If other families’ choices do matter, this adds an additional layer of challenge in persuading decision makers. This raises the question of what authority do individuals have in the decision making process?
Behavioural change models were developed to take this question into account, and led to the development of social norms models. To summarise: a family's action or decision to cut depends on the actions of other families and what is considered a norm. Community members do not want to deviate from what is deemed acceptable behaviour. An important element of this model points to how individuals do not make decisions in isolation. People have strong beliefs about what is proper parenting and are aware of what others expect. The emphasis placed on social integration and acceptance can make it more difficult to abandon the practice. People worry that if they do not conform they will be ostracised, lose social support, and diminish marriage prospects. Therefore, if change in belief happens collectively, this will lead to co-ordinated action to end FGM/C.
How can we coordinate this change?
To coordinate change, Dr. Shell-Duncan suggests moving beyond the assumption that everyone is on the same page. She placed emphasis on the successful impact of community discussions that explore norms and highlight changing norms and meanings. She also pointed to dispelling pluralistic ignorance – faulty assumptions about what others want and do. For example, one might assume men prefer if women undergo FGM/C while discussions with them may reveal faulty assumptions. This can spark dialogue and encourage people to pledge to create change.
Change Agents and Social Networks
Change agents are individuals who promote and create change. It is within a social network that change agents can act to influence others, as social networks connect individuals and are the heart of community dialogue. Dr. Shell-Duncan spoke about the power of persuasion, and how social norms can change quite quickly in this way. While it is true that some individuals may be more persuasive than others, such as political and religious leaders, healthcare providers and respected elders in the community, the spread of information occurs across all levels and in multiple settings.
It was clear from this webinar that social norms affect our lives in many ways, influencing our behaviour, language, and social beliefs. When I think about social norms in my everyday life, I recognise them in both a positive and negative light. Some social norms are necessary for society to function and allow us to understand each other’s motives and actions. These include norms surrounding phone etiquette, public behaviour, and meeting someone for the first time. When we think of norms in this way, it is clear that they contribute to social order and shape the culture to which we belong. It is not unreasonable to then say that breaking social norms can make you an outcast, leading to the social ostracism Dr. Shell-Duncan talked about in the context of FGM/C. The webinar made me realise that social norms, while complex, can change. This gives us hope in the journey to end FGM/C.
On Friday, July 1st at 4pm GMT, Sahiyo will host a webinar on this topic: Understanding Social Norms to End Female Genital Cutting. The webinar will investigate the tension between social norms and FGC activism by bringing together a diverse array of voices. Participants will have the opportunity to be a part of the discussion on how we can all become better educated, and better advocates, in the journey to end FGC. Keep an eye on our social media for more information and updates!
Register for the Understanding Social Norms to End Female Genital Cutting webinar here.
Dena Igusti (they/them) is a queer non-binary Indonesian Muslim poet, playwright, filmmaker, producer, and FGC survivor & activist born and raised in Queens, New York. They are the author of CUT WOMAN (Game Over Books, 2020) and I NEED THIS TO NOT SWALLOW ME ALIVE (Gingerbug Press, 2021). They are the founder of Dearest Mearest. Their work has been featured in BOAAT Press, Peregrine Journal, and several other publications. Their work has been produced and performed at The Brooklyn Museum, The Apollo Theater, the 2018 Teen Vogue Summit, Players Theatre (SHARUM, 2019), Prelude Festival (Cut Woman, 2020), Center At West Park (CON DOUGH, 2021), The Tank (First Sight 2021 at LimeFest), and several other venues internationally. They are a Culture Push Associated Artist. They are currently a 2021 Playwright-in-Residence for Rogue Theater Festival. They are a 2022 Sundress Arts Resident, 2022 Best of the Net Nominee, 2021 Baldwin For The Arts Resident, 2021 Hook Arts Media Digital Connections Fellow, 2021 City Artist Corps, 2021 Stories Award Finalist, 2021 LMCC Governor’s Island Resident, 2021 Broadway For Racial Justice Inaugural Casting Directive Fellow, 2020 Seventh Wave Editorial Resident, 2020 Ars Nova Emerging Leaders Fellow, 2020 Spotify Sound Up cohort member, 2019 Player’s Theatre Resident Playwright, and 2018 NYC Youth Poet Laureate Ambassador. They are a Converse All Stars Artist and UN #TOGETHERBAND Global Ambassador.
Afiqa (she/they) is a Malay Muslim gender-nonconforming survivor of FGC in Singapore. They volunteer with End FGC Singapore, a community-led campaign aiming to empower Muslim communities in Singapore to make FGC obsolete through community re-education and community-based support. They participated in Sahiyo's 2022 Voices to End FGM/C workshop.
Dr. Bowers (she/her) is a pelvic and gynecologic surgeon with more than 32 years of’ experience. She is a University of Minnesota Medical School graduate, where she was class and student body president. After residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Washington, she practiced in Seattle at the Polyclinic and Swedish Medical Center. Dr. Bowers left Seattle in 2003 to apprentice with the legendary Dr. Stanley Biber, considered the “Father of Transgender Surgery.” In 2010, Marci relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area community of Burlingame, CA. She has now performed more than 2,250 primary MTF Vaginoplasties and 3,900 Gender Affirming Surgeries overall. In 2014, Dr. Bowers was hired to renew transgender surgery at Sheba Hospital in Tel Aviv, Israel. Subsequently, she initiated trans surgical education programs at Mt. Sinai (New York/2016), Denver Health (2018), the University of Toronto Women’s College Hospital (2019), Northwell Health (2020), and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (2020). The Mt. Sinai Transgender Surgical Fellowship is the first of its’ kind. Dr. Bowers performed WPATH’s first 2 “live surgery” vaginoplasties at Mt. Sinai in 2018 and 2019. Dr. Bowers is the WPATH President-elect and currently serves on the Trevor Project Board of Directors having served previous terms with GLAAD and the Transgender Law Center. Her gender diverse work has been highlighted by appearances on Oprah, CBS Sunday Morning, Discovery Health and the TLC reality series, “I am Jazz”. She was interviewed in 2021 by Leslie Stahl for the CBS News program 60 Minutes. Dr. Bowers is recognized as one of the 100 most influential LGBT people on the Guardian’s World Pride Power List and one of Huffington Post’s 50 Transgender Icons, was called the Transgender Surgery Rock Star (Denver Post), the Georgia O’keefe of Genitalia (unknown) and the Beyonce of Bottom Surgery (KPFK-FM North Hollywood).