Ministry of Health Responsible for Addressing Female Circumcision in Iran

On February 6, the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation was observed, coinciding with a report indicating a 70 million increase in the number of women subjected to this practice globally. According to UNICEF's 2016 report, the global figures have risen by seventy million since 2014. This report highlights that not only have the statistics from various countries increased over the past year, but new data has also been collected in Indonesia. The United Nations has previously announced its efforts to eliminate female genital mutilation worldwide by 2030. However, in Iran, researchers continue their efforts to provide evidence of the occurrence of female circumcision in the country. Nasrin, a guest on the program "Another Voice," shares details of her own experience with genital mutilation: "This is usually done in groups, where grandmothers gather several girls under the pretext of celebrating and perform the circumcision on them. I remember being laid down for this procedure. The woman who performed it was called Hajieh Khanum, and she would do this in separate rooms. There was usually some resistance, and someone would hold us down. When they remove your pants, there is an involuntary resistance. I resisted a lot, which caused me to bleed excessively. At that time, people paid little attention to health issues, and usually one blade was used. It was due to cutting a large part of the clitoris that I bled so much. In Iran, female circumcision is generally of the first type, meaning the least amount is removed from the clitoris. However, my experience was different because my cousin and I resisted a lot, and the older woman performing the circumcision had shaky hands, which resulted in a deeper cut. During childhood, girls' genitalia have not developed much, leading to more serious harm. When I realized what had been done to me, I sought repair, but I found out that such surgeries are not performed in Iran, especially since circumcision itself is not questioned. Even at university, when I mentioned that girls are circumcised in our area, none had heard of it, including doctors I spoke to in Tehran. I believe the first step to limit and stop female genital mutilation in Iran is to provide information and education in areas where it is most prevalent. Statistics show that the highest rates of female circumcision occur in southern Iran. I think the Ministry of Health and the Women's Affairs Center of the Presidency should take action. Education and awareness are necessary, and a series of sessions are needed to prepare people medically before addressing cultural issues. I believe that by educating people about the dangers, we can significantly prevent its occurrence, especially in the villages of Hormozgan and Kurdistan where this practice is common. When we provided information, the people's reaction was that the health center had not informed them. Why do you think the Ministry of Health has not reacted to this issue? I believe the Ministry of Health is unaware of how widespread this issue is. The information we provided during Ahmadinejad's presidency and under Minister Dashtjerdi was ignored, justified by the notion that it might relate to religious differences between Shia and Sunni, which could provoke sensitivities among Sunni scholars, leading to negligence. This issue can be as dangerous as the onset of an epidemic. A girl who is circumcised at two months old in southern Iran cannot simply be dismissed with claims of religious differences. This year, we passed the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Circumcision without any news from domestic media regarding the practice in Iran. This media silence occurred despite a ceremony at the National Library of Iran unveiling a new research study on female circumcision titled 'A Comprehensive Study on Female Circumcision in Iran' by Camille Ahmadi. Ahmadi discusses the shocking results of this research, stating that in Hormozgan province, which has the highest percentage of circumcised girls, areas like Minab and Parsian have a circumcision rate of 59%, with about 35% of those being under five years old. The second highest rate is in Kermanshah province, particularly in the Sunni regions of Oramanat and Kurdistan. Following that, Kurdistan province has the highest percentage we found at 46%, and West Azerbaijan province has the lowest at about 31%. This varies by county, with differences between Shia and Sunni areas. The research shows that, as Nasrin pointed out, the decision-maker for circumcising girls is often the mother or grandmother, and in some cases, other female relatives. The support for female circumcision in Hormozgan and the islands of Qeshm, Hormoz, and Lark is at its highest at 44%, while the figure for men is 33%. In Paveh and Javanrud in Kermanshah, this figure is lower, with 21% of women and only 10% of men supporting female circumcision. The research indicates that men are less concerned about female circumcision than women, yet women are under invisible patriarchal pressure to make decisions. Ahmadi notes that the practice of circumcision in rural Iran is often seen as a religious tradition, particularly among followers of Imam Shafi'i, who believe it enhances beauty and facilitates sexual relations. This has led to the practice being prevalent among different sects in certain regions of Iran. Additionally, some individuals benefit financially from performing circumcisions, while others, such as religious female advocates in villages, promote this practice. Iran has been listed among countries where circumcision occurs since last year, but it seems this issue has not caught the attention of Iranian health officials. Ahmadi believes the main reason is the lack of sufficient information on female circumcision in Iran. Research conducted on this topic has been limited to a few field and academic studies, which have not received much global attention due to their brevity and limitations. Fortunately, this situation is changing, as the issue has been placed on the agenda of the United Nations, which has recommended that Iran work on this matter, leading to more comprehensive research. Reliable information is now available that guides to the areas where circumcision occurs, including the names of villages and circumcisers, and those who promote and encourage this practice. Thus, the issue of circumcision in Iran is no longer deniable.