Relationship Between Female Genital Mutilation And The Academic Performance Ofthe Girl Child, Case Study In Suam Sub County, Bukwo District, Eastern Uganda

ABSTRACT

This research deals with female genital mutilation and its relationship on the girl child education

in Suam sub-county, Bukwo District. Mutilation is done as a way of maintaining culture in some

societies, crossing over to a different age/set group and woman hood too. Some countries like

Somalia and Sudan do it for public recognition. However, female genital mutilation/cutting

(FGM!C) has been outlawed in many countries Uganda inclusive because of its associated evils

towards girl children and women’s education in school.

The purpose and objective of the research is to determine whether there is a relationship between

female genital mutilation and education of girls. FGMIC is practiced for medical or non-medical

reasons. Some countries like Egypt would legalize it to the extent of doing it in a barber’s saloon

not until one young girl died as a result. This then caused absolute abolition of FGMJC in Egypt.

On average, 36% of girls aged 15-19 have been cut compared to an estimate of 53% of women

who are aged 45-49. The types of mutilations have different percentages altogether the highest

being excision with 78%, clitoridectomy 10%, infibulations 10% and other unclassified ones

account for less than 2%.

FGM/C is measured in terms of the number of those who have undergone the practice, those who

are yet to undergo (those at risk) and those who do not want to undergo the practice whereas Girl

and women education is measured in terms of the level of education before and after one

undergoes the practice. A design used is the descriptive research design was used to collect data

on the relationship between FGM and the girl child education, reasons why it is practiced and

effects of FGM on education of girls in school.

It could be inferred that female genital mutilation is strongly associated to the low levels of girls

and women’s education in the areas of study. In deduction from the selected areas of study in

that after the practice it was found out during the research that most female girls drop out of

school due to the effect of low self-esteem, shame inadequate finances due to over spending

during the FGM, forced marriages and advanced effects of mutilation like over bleeding can

sometimes claim the life of the victim and thus need to put forth measures to stop the act like

NGOs sensitization programs, passing anti FGM laws by the government, arresting those who

promote the act among others so as to safeguard the life of the female girls in the region and globally as far as the Education of the girl child is concerned.