Exiled by war, Sudan’s women find freedom from female genital mutilation – The Christian Science Monitor

Report on the Abandonment of Female Genital Mutilation Among Sudanese Refugees in Egypt in the Context of the Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

The forced displacement of Sudanese nationals to Egypt due to civil war has inadvertently created an environment conducive to the abandonment of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), a harmful traditional practice. This development represents significant, albeit unintentional, progress towards several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), primarily SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being). However, these gains are set against a backdrop of severe challenges related to SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 4 (Quality Education), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), highlighting the complex interplay of development goals in a crisis context.

1.0 Background: FGM, Conflict, and Displacement

The ongoing conflict in Sudan has precipitated a major humanitarian crisis, forcing over one million individuals to seek refuge in neighboring Egypt. This situation directly undermines SDG 16, which calls for peaceful and inclusive societies. Within Sudan, the prevalence of FGM is exceptionally high, with nearly 90% of women aged 15-49 having undergone the procedure. This practice constitutes a severe violation of human rights and is a primary barrier to achieving key targets within the SDGs.

• SDG 5 (Gender Equality): FGM is a direct target for elimination under Target 5.3, which aims to eliminate all harmful practices against women and girls.
• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): The practice causes severe short-term and long-term physical and psychological health problems, contravening the goal of ensuring healthy lives for all.

The displacement to Egypt has removed many Sudanese women and their daughters from the sociocultural environments where FGM is deeply entrenched, presenting a unique opportunity to break the cycle.

2.0 Factors Influencing the Decline of FGM Among Sudanese Refugees

Several intersecting factors within the Egyptian context are contributing to a decline in the practice of FGM among the Sudanese refugee community. These factors align with the frameworks of multiple SDGs.

1. Legal and Institutional Frameworks (SDG 16): Egypt has implemented stricter laws against FGM, with severe penalties of up to 20 years in prison for medical professionals who perform the procedure. This strong institutional stance has a significant deterrent effect on refugee communities.
2. Reduced Social and Familial Pressure (SDG 5): Relocation has separated families from the extended relatives and community midwives who traditionally enforce and perform FGM, weakening the grip of harmful social norms.
3. Access to Information and Education (SDG 4 & SDG 5): Local and international NGOs are conducting awareness campaigns on the dangers of FGM. These initiatives empower women with knowledge, giving them the confidence to reject the practice, as exemplified by refugee Fatma Bakr, who has become a vocal advocate after attending informational sessions.
4. Changing Norms in the Host Country: While FGM exists in Egypt, rates are declining, and public discourse is increasingly against the practice. This provides a supportive environment for refugee mothers choosing to protect their daughters.

3.0 Case Studies: Personal Narratives and SDG Linkages

The experiences of individual refugee women illustrate the tangible impact of displacement on FGM and its connection to the broader SDG agenda.

• Fatma Ahmed: Fleeing the war in Sudan provided an escape from the imminent FGM of her daughters. This highlights a direct, though tragic, pathway to achieving SDG 5.3. However, her subsequent life in Cairo is a struggle against poverty (SDG 1), as she is the sole provider and cannot afford school fees for her children, impeding progress on SDG 4 (Quality Education).
• Leila Sadeeq: After losing her parents in the conflict (a failure of SDG 16), Ms. Sadeeq finds solace in the fact that her daughter, Maab, will be spared FGM and has aspirations for a professional career, reflecting hope for SDG 3 (Good Health) and SDG 4 (Quality Education).

These narratives demonstrate that while progress is being made on eliminating a harmful practice (SDG 5), it is intrinsically linked to the precariousness of life as a refugee, where fundamental goals related to poverty, education, and security remain unmet.

4.0 Persistent Challenges to Sustainable Development

Despite the positive development regarding FGM, Sudanese refugees in Egypt face significant obstacles that hinder the achievement of a broader range of SDGs.

• SDG 1 (No Poverty): Extreme financial hardship is rampant. Families like the Ahmeds struggle with high rent and low, unstable incomes, trapping them in a cycle of poverty.
• SDG 4 (Quality Education): Many refugee children are out of school due to the costs of community-run education, creating a risk of a lost generation and undermining long-term development.
• SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): As refugees, this population faces systemic inequalities and vulnerabilities, with sporadic support from international agencies and an uncertain future.

5.0 Conclusion and Recommendations

The abandonment of FGM by Sudanese refugee mothers in Egypt is a significant positive outcome born from a crisis. It demonstrates measurable progress towards SDG 3 and, most notably, SDG 5.3. The combination of displacement from traditional pressures and stronger institutional enforcement in the host country has been pivotal.

However, this progress is fragile. To be sustainable, it must be supported by concerted efforts to address the interconnected challenges defined by the SDGs. International and local actors must provide comprehensive support that not only reinforces health and gender equality education but also addresses the critical needs for poverty alleviation (SDG 1), access to quality education (SDG 4), and stable living conditions to uphold the principles of peace and justice (SDG 16).

Analysis of SDGs in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

   The article discusses several interconnected issues that are relevant to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

   • SDG 5: Gender Equality
     
     This is the most prominent SDG in the article. The central theme is the fight against female genital mutilation (FGM), a harmful practice that constitutes a violation of girls’ and women’s rights and a form of gender-based violence. The story of Fatma Ahmed saving her daughters from FGM directly addresses the goal of achieving gender equality.
   • SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
     
     The article highlights the severe health consequences of FGM. It describes the physical pain Ms. Ahmed endured (“the pain of the cut itself was only the beginning”), the long-term impact on her well-being (“Intimacy with her husband became strained, and the emotional scars lingered”), and the psychological trauma (“I felt violated”). The decision to abandon the practice is a step towards ensuring healthier lives for the next generation.
   • SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
     
     This goal is relevant in two ways. First, the context of the story is a “spiraling civil war” in Sudan, which forced the families to flee, directly relating to the aim of reducing violence and promoting peaceful societies. Second, the article contrasts the legal systems of Sudan and Egypt regarding FGM. It notes that while FGM is outlawed in Sudan, “enforcement is inconsistent,” whereas Egypt has “harsher penalties” and more consistent enforcement, demonstrating the role of strong institutions and the rule of law in protecting citizens.
   • SDG 1: No Poverty
     
     The article vividly portrays the poverty experienced by the refugee family. Ms. Ahmed lives in a “crumbling apartment” and is the “sole breadwinner.” Her weekly income of “1,200 Egyptian pounds ($24)” is barely enough to cover her rent of “1,500 pound ($30),” leaving little for other necessities and trapping her family in a state of economic fragility.
   • SDG 4: Quality Education
     
     The family’s poverty directly impacts the children’s access to education. The article states that Ms. Ahmed “cannot afford tuition for her five school-age children.” One of the children, Maab, explicitly says, “I missed two years of school,” highlighting the disruption and barriers to education faced by refugees.
   • SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
     
     The article focuses on the plight of refugees, a vulnerable group facing significant inequalities. The families have been uprooted by conflict and struggle with precarious living conditions, poverty, and lack of access to services like education in their host country. The story highlights the specific vulnerabilities of refugee women and girls.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

   Based on the issues discussed, the following specific SDG targets can be identified:

   • Target 5.3: Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.
     
     The entire article is centered on the practice of FGM and the decision by Sudanese refugee mothers in Egypt to abandon it, directly aligning with this target.
   • Target 3.7: By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes.
     
     FGM is a violation of sexual and reproductive health and rights. The article’s discussion of the physical and emotional trauma, including strained intimacy, connects to the need for health and well-being in this area.
   • Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.
     
     The families fled a “spiraling civil war” in Sudan, where Ms. Sadeeq’s parents were killed in a “bomb strike” and Ms. Ahmed’s husband “disappeared.” This directly relates to the goal of reducing lethal violence.
   • Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.
     
     FGM is a form of violence and abuse against girls, typically performed on them as children (“between the ages of 5 and 9 in Sudan”). The mothers’ efforts to protect their daughters from this “trauma” align with this target.
   • Target 1.2: By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions.
     
     The description of Ms. Ahmed’s financial situation, where her income does not cover basic expenses like rent, illustrates her family’s condition of living in poverty.
   • Target 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.
     
     The article explicitly mentions that Ms. Ahmed’s children cannot attend school due to the cost of tuition, and that another child “missed two years of school,” showing a direct failure to meet this target for these children.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

   The article provides both quantitative and qualitative data that can serve as indicators for measuring progress.

   • Indicator for Target 5.3: The article provides a baseline statistic that serves as an indicator: “In Sudan, nearly 90% of women between the ages of 15 and 49 have undergone some form of FGM.” A reduction in this percentage would indicate progress. A qualitative indicator is the observation that FGM is “on the decline among Sudanese in Egypt” and the personal testimony of Ms. Ahmed’s daughter, who has “never heard of [it].”
   • Indicator for Target 16.2: The age at which FGM is performed, “between the ages of 5 and 9 in Sudan,” is an indicator of violence against children. A decrease in the prevalence of FGM in this age group would measure progress.
   • Indicator for Target 16.3 (Promote the rule of law): The article provides a comparative indicator of institutional strength. It mentions “inconsistent” enforcement of anti-FGM laws in Sudan versus “harsher penalties” in Egypt, including a prison term of “up to 20 years,” which has a “chilling effect” on the practice.
   • Indicator for Target 1.2: The article provides specific financial data that acts as a poverty indicator: Ms. Ahmed earns “1,200 Egyptian pounds ($24) weekly” while her rent is “1,500 pound ($30).” This income-expenditure gap is a clear measure of her economic hardship.
   • Indicator for Target 4.1: The article provides indicators of educational access failure. The cost of tuition, “from around $60 to 80 per child annually,” is a barrier. The outcome is that the children are not in school, and one child has “missed two years of school.”
   • Indicator for Target 16.1: The reasons for fleeing Sudan serve as indicators of violence: a “spiraling civil war,” a “bomb strike” causing deaths, and a disappearance at a “checkpoint set up by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.”

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

   SDGs	Targets	Indicators Identified in the Article
   SDG 5: Gender Equality	5.3: Eliminate all harmful practices, such as… female genital mutilation.	Prevalence of FGM in Sudan (“nearly 90% of women between 15 and 49”). Qualitative reports of FGM being “on the decline” among Sudanese refugees in Egypt. Anecdotal evidence of younger generations being unaware of the practice (“I’ve never heard of [it]”).
   SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being	3.7: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services.	Descriptions of the physical (“pain of the cut”), emotional (“emotional scars lingered”), and psychological (“I felt violated”) harm caused by FGM.
   SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions	16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.	Reason for displacement is a “spiraling civil war.” Reported deaths from a “bomb strike.” Disappearance of a person at a paramilitary checkpoint.
   SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions	16.2: End abuse, exploitation… and all forms of violence against and torture of children.	The practice of performing FGM on young girls, typically “between the ages of 5 and 9.”
   SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions	16.3: Promote the rule of law… and ensure equal access to justice for all.	Comparison of legal enforcement: “inconsistent” in Sudan vs. “harsher penalties” (up to 20 years prison) and a “chilling effect” in Egypt.
   SDG 1: No Poverty	1.2: Reduce at least by half the proportion of… people living in poverty.	Specific income vs. expenditure data: Earning $24 weekly with a rent of $30. Description of living conditions: “crumbling apartment,” “one-room home.”
   SDG 4: Quality Education	4.1: Ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education.	Inability to afford school tuition (“$60 to 80 per child annually”). Direct report of a child having “missed two years of school.”

Source: csmonitor.com