FGM in Portugal: scientific study points the way toward eliminating the practice

A study co-funded by FCT and the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality (CIG) presents the first scientific data on the prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Portugal. The team, led by Manuel Lisboa, from CESNOVA (New University of Lisbon), also analyzed the perception and knowledge of communities and health professionals regarding the practice of FGM, clinical response structures, and existing public policies for its elimination. The study, which includes recommendations for continuing the fight against and prevention of FGM, is considered a much-needed starting point for the work to be developed in the 3rd action program of the National Plan to Combat and Prevent Domestic and Gender Violence.

In communities where it is prevalent, FGM is commonly practiced on girls between the ages of zero and 15, but also on adult women, depending on the community and sociocultural context. It is recognized as a serious violation of the human rights of women of all ages, clearly condemned in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and prohibited in several international conventions. Portugal welcomes migrants from countries where the practice is carried out (Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, among others), but until now there has been no data on the prevalence of the practice in Portugal.

Data on the prevalence of FGM in the countries of origin of women potentially affected by the practice was precisely the starting point for calculating the estimated prevalence of FGM in Portugal. Using an approach employed in recent studies in other countries, researchers applied the prevalence rates in the countries of origin to the number of women residing in Portugal who originate from countries where FGM is practiced (aged between 15 and 49). The analysis was then extended to women over the age of 49. The results indicate that more than 6,500 women may have undergone FGM in Portugal. The districts of Lisbon and Setúbal have the highest number of women, followed by the district of Faro. The breakdown of prevalence data by district (and even by municipality) is particularly useful for the development and implementation of local information, identification, and elimination programs. 

To understand the contexts and characteristics inherent to the practice of FGM, researchers conducted a survey of 123 men and women belonging to the communities identified in the prevalence study (87 women and 36 men). The vast majority of respondents do not consider FGM to be a "good practice" (99% of women; 94% of men). Among women, 40% said they had a woman or girl in their family who had undergone the practice; among men, this figure was 18%. Five percent of women surveyed plan to have their future daughters undergo the practice, and 6% of men would like their future wives to be excised.

The surveys were completed through in-depth interviews with women who had undergone the practice and those who had not, with men from countries where FGM is practiced, and with health professionals and leaders of immigrant associations. Women recognize FGM as a harmful practice, shrouded in cultural and religious ritual. Men show some ambivalence towards FGM: they recognize it as a harmful practice, but, in addition to considering it a "women's issue," they point out its importance for the integration of girls and women into communities.

The study was the result of the work of a multidisciplinary team, integrating various scientific fields: Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, Women's Studies, Gynecology, Sexology, Public Health, Law, and Statistics. The project was selected by a panel of international experts from among several proposals submitted to the Call launched by FCT in 2013, as part of the protocol signed with the Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality.

The report of the study "Female Genital Mutilation: prevalence, sociocultural dynamics, and recommendations for its elimination" was publicly presented on July 15 and is available here and on the CIG website.