Female genital cutting in Somaliland: Baseline assessment

This report summarizes research findings into the prevalence and attitudes around female genital cutting (FGC) in 20 communities across five regions of Somaliland. There was a specific focus on young people, who accounted for 47 percent of the interviewees, and also on the role of schools in promoting abandonment of cutting. This research found that the prevalence of FGC in the five regions studied is 98.9 percent across all age groups in city, semi-city, and village communities. The findings indicate that decisionmaking in relation to FGC has less to do with having accurate knowledge, and more to do with the challenges of making difficult decisions. This has implications for the kinds of activities and interactions that are most likely to successfully bring about changing attitudes and, in turn, abandonment of FGC. Further research is required to understand the factors influencing decisionmaking at family and community levels in Somaliland