Female genital cutting and coming of age in Guinea = L"excision et la socialisation des adolescentes en Guinee

The researchers used interviews and group discussions to find out how FGC is situated within the social and family context of young girls, to what extent women are able to recall and relate their personal experience with FGC, how women and men perceive the phenomenon, and what role FGC plays in the context of family and community. The main findings of the study are as follows: (1) The majority of women interviewed regard FGC as an acceptable practice that purifies and socializes unmarried girls through the education and training they receive during ritual seclusion. However, younger women, particularly those living in urban areas, are much more critical of the custom. (2) Although reasons vary, the majority of men interviewed believe FGC should continue. All the men declared it to be "women"s business", and many linked FGC and their wives" proper behavior. A substantial proportion of men said that the practice reduces female sexual desire. Like women, men are divided regarding the possible link between religion and FGC. (3) Except for those in the forest region (N"Zerekore), it is likely that most girls in Guinea experience FGC before they reached 12 years of age. (4) Discussing FGC as one element in the larger context of girls" preparation for adulthood allows women to speak of their own experiences more easily. (4) FGC is generally an obligatory event for young girls coming of age among the Sosso and the Fulani and, to a lesser extent, among the Malinke of Guinea. (5) Guinean languages do not have specific labels for the types of FGC practiced; descriptive phrases are used to identify the different types. Therefore, interviewers should not ask what type of FGC a woman experienced, but rather more generally what was done to her during the FGC procedure. (6) FGC is increasingly being done within the medical system and is, therefore, taking on less radical forms. Some parents now request that their daughter be subjected only to "pinching and nicking." Recommendations for eliminating FGC in Guinea are provided in conclusion. Includes references.