FGM in Emergency and Humanitarian Contexts

When a crisis hits in an otherwise stable country, stakeholders working on development and cooperation towards the abandonment of FGM often do not have the means or capacity to work in such contexts, which require alternative planning and response. We have seen this with the disruption of FGM prevention interventions caused worldwide by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of this, two million additional girls may be subjected to FGM. (UNFPA-UNICEF, 2020)

On the other hand, staff working in the humanitarian sector often lack awareness around the importance of preventing FGM and do not prioritise providing specific care to FGM survivors. Humanitarian staff are not always aware that a crisis can potentially increase the practice of FGM. In fact, many consider this issue only in the light of a centuries-long traditional harmful practice, deeply rooted in culture and gendered social norms. The mandate of humanitarian staff covers short term situations and immediate needs while FGM is seen as an issue to be dealt with at later stages when communities have recovered from the crisis. In fact, long-term processes of behavioural change and awareness raising, as well as long-term provision of care, are not perceived as a competence of humanitarian actors, who mainly focus on responding to the immediate needs of the population hit by the crisis through a rapid and time-bound response. Thus, while both the provision for sexual reproductive health services and the prevention of gender-based violence are generally part of the humanitarian response, FGM is often not included.

Stakeholders stressed that within the various clusters, or groups of activities, organised during a humanitarian response, the “protection cluster” and “health cluster” should logically cover FGM. While the “protection cluster” includes gender-based violence (GBV), interventions mostly focus on physical abuse and violence happening at the moment of crisis. Issues such as FGM, requiring long-term social norm change, are generally not included in the “protection cluster”. Likewise, the “health cluster” focuses on life-saving and emergency conditions. Holistic care for FGM survivors is therefore not prioritized.

Yemen has faced one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world for the last ten years. Although child marriage and FGM are a social norm in the country, human rights and women’s rights specifically are considered a secondary priority by governments and donors, directing all resources to the crisis response. Since there is no recent data on FGM (last dating 2013), women’s rights organisations have had to reorient their activities to the humanitarian sector, as their thematic areas are not funded. (Saoussen Ben Cheikh, Internews, during stakeholder dialogue)