“Am I More than a Housewife”? An Exploration of Education, Empowerment, and Gender Preference in Relation to Female Genital Cutting/Mutilation in the Far North Region of Cameroon

Kód výsledku v IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216224%3A14230%2F23%3A00130361" target="_blank" >RIV/00216224:14230/23:00130361 - isvavai.cz</a>

Výsledek na webu

<a href="https://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws/vol25/iss1/7" target="_blank" >https://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws/vol25/iss1/7</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

—

Jazyk výsledku

angličtina

Název v původním jazyce

“Am I More than a Housewife”? An Exploration of Education, Empowerment, and Gender Preference in Relation to Female Genital Cutting/Mutilation in the Far North Region of Cameroon

Popis výsledku v původním jazyce

Despite the United Nations (UN) efforts to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women, gender discrimination remains visible in most regions of Cameroon. Traditional practices such as female genital cutting/mutilation and early marriage violate the human rights of their victims and continue to perpetuate gender gaps, leaving women vulnerable and dependent on their male counterparts for their daily needs. The aim of this ethnographic study is to examine the influence of the traditional practice of female genital cutting/mutilation (FGC/FGM) in the face of modernity and as a driver of gender inequality. Study participants were girls and women from the Far North Region of Cameroon and activists and academics involved in the study of FGC/FGM. A total of 36 participants were interviewed. This study shows that within these communities, the practice of FGC/FGM contributes to constructing gaps between men and women in education, empowerment, and offspring gender preference. By examining how these gaps are perpetuated, this study highlights the reasons for the region's high illiteracy rate among women, the lack of female empowerment, and why parents prefer having male children over female children. This study also reveals that women in this part of Cameroon are primarily recognized only in specific areas of life, such as in the “housewife” role, their ability to satisfy their husbands, start biological reproduction, and perform household chores. Victims of FGC/FGM are often limited to household roles, thereby depriving them of fundamental human rights and opportunities. This study contributes to the existing research on how the practice of FGC/FGM promotes gender inequalities in different areas of life. This work is rooted in the shared experiences of women themselves, revealing how they conceptualize the practice of FGC/FGM.

Název v anglickém jazyce

“Am I More than a Housewife”? An Exploration of Education, Empowerment, and Gender Preference in Relation to Female Genital Cutting/Mutilation in the Far North Region of Cameroon

Popis výsledku anglicky

Despite the United Nations (UN) efforts to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women, gender discrimination remains visible in most regions of Cameroon. Traditional practices such as female genital cutting/mutilation and early marriage violate the human rights of their victims and continue to perpetuate gender gaps, leaving women vulnerable and dependent on their male counterparts for their daily needs. The aim of this ethnographic study is to examine the influence of the traditional practice of female genital cutting/mutilation (FGC/FGM) in the face of modernity and as a driver of gender inequality. Study participants were girls and women from the Far North Region of Cameroon and activists and academics involved in the study of FGC/FGM. A total of 36 participants were interviewed. This study shows that within these communities, the practice of FGC/FGM contributes to constructing gaps between men and women in education, empowerment, and offspring gender preference. By examining how these gaps are perpetuated, this study highlights the reasons for the region's high illiteracy rate among women, the lack of female empowerment, and why parents prefer having male children over female children. This study also reveals that women in this part of Cameroon are primarily recognized only in specific areas of life, such as in the “housewife” role, their ability to satisfy their husbands, start biological reproduction, and perform household chores. Victims of FGC/FGM are often limited to household roles, thereby depriving them of fundamental human rights and opportunities. This study contributes to the existing research on how the practice of FGC/FGM promotes gender inequalities in different areas of life. This work is rooted in the shared experiences of women themselves, revealing how they conceptualize the practice of FGC/FGM.

Druh

J_SC - Článek v periodiku v databázi SCOPUS

CEP obor

—

OECD FORD obor

50403 - Social topics (Women´s and gender studies; Social issues; Family studies; Social work)

Projekt

—

Návaznosti

S - Specificky vyzkum na vysokych skolach

Rok uplatnění

2023

Kód důvěrnosti údajů

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Název periodika

Journal of International Women's Studies

ISSN

1539-8706

e-ISSN

1539-8706

Svazek periodika

25

Číslo periodika v rámci svazku

1

Stát vydavatele periodika

US - Spojené státy americké

Počet stran výsledku

16

Strana od-do

1-16

Kód UT WoS článku

—

EID výsledku v databázi Scopus

2-s2.0-85150908229