The Female Genital Mutilation Economy and the Rights of the Girl Child in Northeastern Uganda

The practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) generally persists in the northeastern belt of Uganda in spite of legal and other socio-economic mechanisms at national and local levels geared towards curbing it. FGMconstitutes one of the foremost violations against the rights of girls and young women and significantly affects their welfare later in life. This study established that FGM was driven and sustained by commercial gains resulting in commoditization of girls, forced/early marriageand child bearing, impacting the reproductive health rights and the right to education for the girl child. The beneficiaries who form a chain involving elderly women, families of victims and other cultural leaders present FGM as a cultural practice simply to legitimize it and shield it from legal and other opposition forces. We recommend that actors rethink current interventions in addressing FGM with a view to developing more unique interventions to provide varied alternative sources of income for the actors, improving the livelihood options of those involved and also paying due attention to community attitudes. It also raises policy and programming issues that need to be considered in prevention of FGM and in mitigating its harmful effects on the girl child and the community at large.