Female Genital Mutilation as Adornment and Masquerade in Southwestern Nigeria.

• In Event: 40820 - Section on Sociology of Sex and Gender Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 7: Sexual Violence

Abstract

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) has overtime come to be recognized as a form of Gender-Based Violence against women which is predominantly practiced in many countries across the Global South, with particularly high prevalence in Nigeria. Its persistence has garnered concerns globally primarily due to its deep entrenchment in socio-cultural norms. The traditional purpose of FGM is to curb a woman’s libido, ensuring chastity and enhancing her marital prospects. In this context, FGM can be understood as both an "adornment" that makes a young woman more attractive to the male gaze and a "masquerade" that renders her less intimidating to men. Against this background study examines how mutilated women navigate their marital relationships by weaponizing FGM as an adornment and as a masquerade. The study was a qualitative one which employed in-depth interviews as the primary data collection method. The research participants were married mutilated women and their husbands. A total of 22 respondents- 12 females and 10 males were interviewed. Interviews were conducted in English and Yoruba languages, recorded, transcribed, translated into English, and were subsequently thematically analyzed. The study identified three major themes: dispositions towards FGM, its sexual consequences and the perception of FGM as adornment and masquerade. The findings reveal that most respondents had a negative attitude towards FGM, though a few of them still maintained that FGM has its cultural significance. Most female participants reported that the procedure was performed on them in infancy which echoes findings from existing literature. Their mothers decided to enhance marital suitability, hence playing a vital role in the negotiation of their daughter's gendered identity. However, within marriage, the perception of mutilated as “sexually tamed” provided them with certain advantages, including protection from accusations of infidelity and a degree of leverage in their relationships.

Author

• Miracle-Eunice Bolorunduro, University of Cincinnati