Extension II

You will find whole sets of questions or modules here to add to your questuionnare. They are ADDITIONAL – they do not work without the basic questionnaire. You always need the background information about your participants (social, geographical, religion, education) and you need to know if FGM is present in their community/ family (not necessarily if they themselves are effected). All modules work for men as well if adjusted accordingly and in connection with the basic questionnaire for men.

These modules have not been tested in connection with FGM, yet. Some will surely deliver interesting and important results, others may not.

Be aware: Test the Questions and Answers

When it is getting more complex, you may notice for some questions the offered answers are not really to the point – they “do not work”, they do not meet people’s ideas, they are not stated as people would put it, or the right answer is simply not included. Thus, you will have to adapt our proposed answers to your context – or come up with completely new questions and answers: After all our extension modules are only suggestions to give you an idea what could be done.

Reduce the number of answers

The number of answer options may need to be reduced if your sample is not much bigger than 100. If the number of options exceeds 6 (plus “not applicable”, “don’t know”) it will become difficult to draw useful conclusions. Several options given here are variants of the same idea. You should choose the phrasing which works best in your context or come up with a completely different phrasing.
If you think you can’t reduce the options or even want to add more, you could also ask for each answer option separately a Yes or No question. For example for Question 6 in the Opposition Module: “If you want to convince someone of your point of view, which arguments work?”

Religious?
1 = Yes
2 = No
3 = Sometimes
4 = Never tried it.

Medical?
1 = Yes
2 = No
3 = Sometimes
4 = Never tried it.

Module “Parenting

This module will provide information about the associated role expectations for the respondents with “son”, “daughter”, “husband”, “wife” and “parents” and shed light on how free the parents are in their decision for or against FGM. Question 1 & 4 show how the respondents perceived themselves as “ideal parents” (according to the social norm they have accepted). Question 2 & 3 illuminate both the gender norms as well as the different male and female responsibilities within the family. Question 5 may be an indicator of how high pressure in society is but also whether families more adapted to their surrounding or those more in opposition can break the tradition of genital mutilation.

All questions are working within the conflict zone between individuality and collectivity, spiritual and material values, modernity and tradition.

Open Module Parenting

Module „Opposing FGM“

This module is only for people who oppose FGM in a community where it is practiced. You can either use it as an extra when conducting your survey in case you find many women who oppose it. Or you can use it among your friends and fellow activists. You will learn when and why people changed their mind and started opposing FGM (questions 1 & 2). You will learn what reasons they use to convince someone that FGM is bad (question 4). Question 3 & 5 give you a hint how much it is tabooed in society, how it is discussed and where. All this can give you valuable information what to focus on in a campaign.

Open Module Opposing FGM

Next

If you have decided how to complement your basic questionnaire, read how to conduct the interviews in the section going to the field.