Average rating: | Rated 4.5 of 5. |
Level of importance: | Rated 5 of 5. |
Level of validity: | Rated 4 of 5. |
Level of completeness: | Rated 4 of 5. |
Level of comprehensibility: | Rated 4 of 5. |
Competing interests: | None |
The authors do a good analysis of the underlying causes of FGM and design a comprehensive model for this analysis.
Under the introduction and in paragraph 2, the authors mention the traditional excisers as the main circumcisers, however, medicalisation of the procedure has become prevalent in some countries, for example in Egypt 2014, more than 70% of FGM operations were performed by physicians. Authors may like to add thissentence.
Please consider providing data about the magnitude of FGM inthe world right after the first paragraph of the introduction and before the types. If I remember correctly, the number of circumcised women across the world is around 130-140 million and more than 3 million girls are at risk of being circumcised every year.
In the socio-ecological model, I did not see much differencebetween the community and society levels, authors may consider combining both.
Concerning religious leaders under the organizational level,one of the reasons behind the contradictions between what the religious leaders tell people and what the real religion says isthat culture and religion are often mixed in the minds of leaders, authors may like to highlight this point or add it in the discussion.
I did not see where "Lack of political commitment, lackof laws and regulations, lack of the role of media and lack ofawareness raising" fit into this model. Authors may consider adding another level to the model or discussing it in more detail under the organizational level.
Under gender norm Ref 34, it mentions FGC while in the wholearticle the term used was FGM, authors may consider changing it.
Recent literature shows some evidence that the role of men is increasing in decision making regarding FGM, whether for having it or not having it done for their daughters/female relatives. There are also complicated relationships that exist between men's sexual feelings and FGM. The authors may consider highlighting this important point under the gender level or the discussion. There is a referenced article that may help.
The discussion looks like a summary rather than a discussion, authors may consider enriching it by adding their own input, ideas, and perhaps suggestions and recommendations
References
El-Mouelhy, M.T., Johansen, R. Elise. B., Ragab A.R., & Fahmy, A. (2013). Men’s perspectives on the relationship between sexuality and female genital mutilation in Egypt. Sociology Study, 3(2), 104‐113.