Abstract

Egypt has a high prevalence rate of practicing female genital mutilation/cutting on a national scale that requires continuous interventions till the practice is abolished. This thesis discusses the policies of the government of Egypt to end FGM/C using qualitative methods based on desk review and in-depth interviews with government and non-government experts in the field. The thesis explored the global and national historical contexts on the social and political levels to comprehend the complex roots of the practice within the society and the evolution of the political stance towards it. The main pillars constructing the Egyptian policies towards ending FGM/C since the 2000s are discussed, including legal, health, religious, educational, community social and behavioral change, structures and services, stakeholder coordination, finance, and sustainability pillars. Some policy gaps and implementation obstacles are identified under each pillar to guide the recommendations and findings. The thesis concluded with lessons learned to accelerate ending FGM/C, highlighting the importance of giving the community demand on continuing the harmful practice and their acceptance for change a high level of prioritization to ensure a sustainable change in community behaviors and effective law enforcement. The recommendations included the need to exert more pressure to reduce medicalization, engage young generations in policy formulation and implementation, revisit the conceptualization of the media campaigns concerning their public figures and target audience, increase national funding to ensure sustainable intervention, review reporting mechanisms to allow law enforcement, and strengthening services provided to support victims and those at risk.

School

School of Global Affairs and Public Policy

Department

Public Policy & Administration Department

Degree Name

MA in Public Administration

Graduation Date

Fall 2-15-2023

Submission Date

1-24-2023

First Advisor

Ghada Barsoum

Second Advisor

Laila El Baradie

Third Advisor

Rana Hendy

Committee Member 1

Ghada Barsoum

Committee Member 2

Laila El Baradie

Committee Member 3

Rana Hendy

Extent

112 p.

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval

Approval has been obtained for this item

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