The Harms of the Current Global Anti-FGM Discourse

A conference will take place in Sweden on June 9-11, 2023.

Swedish researchers in this field will get the opportunity to meet international researchers from eleven countries on three continents (Europe, North America, and Australia) for three days and discuss their longstanding research on ‘female genital mutilation’ (FGM), or circumcision of girls, in diaspora contexts in the West.

Their academic backgrounds include anthropology, sociology, criminology, psychology, law, gender studies, bioethics, and gynecology.

Activities will include a joint effort to draft an academic paper based on previous research among the participants, and discussions about future research endeavors through international collaboration. All participants embrace the goal of encouraging health and well-being of girls and women.

There is a growing concern, though, that what can be called the ‘anti-FGM discourse’ and the current laws banning FGM create serious harms that need to be addressed.

Such negative “side effects” can be both unjust and counterproductive, in that they can derail the efforts to improve the conditions for girls and women, and add to the traumatization of immigrants and refugees.

These themes will inform the conference discussions and will be the starting point of future collaborative research efforts across countries.

The conference will provide Swedish researchers with oppurtunities to advance their scholarly achievements, and, as an effect, improve their capability to promote health and welfare among girls and women in the affected immigrant groups in Sweden.