SEEMA CENTER: ERADICATING FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION IN
SUDAN CASE STUDY SOLUTION
e
pl
SYNOPSIS
m
Sa
In 2022, the SEEMA Center for Training and Protection of Women and Children’s Rights (SEEMA Center),
a non-profit organization founded by Nahid Gabralla in Khartoum, Sudan, was focused on eradicating the
practice of female genital mutilation (FGM). The SEEMA Center was facing cultural, educational, and
political challenges in Sudan, as well as tensions from decades of civil unrest, which created barriers for
n
Gabralla’s fight to eradicate FGM. The SEEMA Center’s work was also greatly challenged by the deep
tio
cultural roots of the practice that existed within the country and in the surrounding regions. FGM was a
traditional ritual that generated a culture of illegal procedures and groups of extremists. These groups
countered the work of the SEEMA Center and made Gabralla’s job all the more difficult. Gabralla had to find
lu
effective strategies and partnerships to help her achieve her organization’s goal of eradicating FGM.
So
OBJECTIVES
• Understand the history and the risks associated with FGM.
• Critically identify and list the various barriers to the solutions that the SEEMA Center is promoting.
• Effectively deconstruct and map the social, physical, political, and economic determinants of FGM by
using the health systems framework of the World Health Organization (WHO).
• Construct a care value delivery chain for the implementation of the SEEMA Center’s initiative and
recognize the gaps in the delivery chain.
• Identify potential stakeholders and describe how they contribute to the SEEMA Center’s goals.
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
, e
pl
m
Sa
ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
1. What are the risks associated with the practice of FGM?
n
2. What are the barriers challenging SEEMA Center’s operations and associated solutions?
tio
3. What are the social, physical, political, and economic determinants of FGM? Organize them using the
WHO health system framework.
4. Organize the SEEMA Center’s operations in a care value delivery chain, while identifying gaps and
lu
areas for improvement.
5. Identify and conduct an analysis of potential stakeholders who can directly or indirectly contribute to
the SEEMA Center’s goals.
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
, e
pl
m
Sa
ANALYSIS
1. What are the risks associated with the practice of FGM?
n
Students should review the complications discussed in the
tio
case (see case sub-heading “Complications” under case heading “FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION”),
and discuss how they intersect and impact the lives of women and girls over the long term.
lu
FGM can result in bleeding, cysts, urinary tract infections, ulcers, pelvic inflammatory diseases,
dysmenorrhea, infertility, and many other physical complications for girls and women. These complications
require a tertiary health care facility for treatment, which may not be available or affordable to the people
So
in these communities. Therefore, many women and girls visit local clinics or resort to home remedies to
treat these types of physical complications. Without proper treatment, however, further complications often
develop; in worst-case scenarios, these complications can result in the death of the patient.
FGM can also lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. The environment in Sudan allows
gender inequality to persist because husbands typically retain full authority over the care of their wives. As a result,
women are often subjected to improper medical procedures. For example, the husband may remove surgery sutures,
potentially causing the woman excessive shock and significant bleeding. Some women may avoid sexual
intercourse with their husbands, which can lead to divorce due to non-compliance. In Sudan, divorced women
typically face a lack of security, income, safety, and general ability to provide for themselves, which perpetuates
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
, EXHIBIT 1: SOCIAL, PHYSICAL, POLITICAL, AND ECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF THE FGM FRAMEWORK
Social Factors: Physical Factors:
MEDICINES AND
• GOVERNANCE •
TECHNOLOGIES
•
• • Military restricting • •
resources (phone and •
internet) •
e
• Medical exam
•
pl
HUMAN
m
RESOURCES PEOPLE
• Lack of funding and INFORMATION
human resources • Circumcision needed for
Sa
• Women and girls (their
• families and husbands)
beauty, purity, and
marriage
• •
•
•
n
• •
• •
tio
SELF-DELIVERY FINANCING
• Political Factors:
lu
• Dependence on • Extremist support for
husbands for livelihood FGM
Economic Factors: • •
So
• Dependence on
husbands for livelihood •
• •
•
•
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
, EXHIBIT 3: STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS
Stakeholder name Impact Why is it important to the How can the stakeholder
stakeholder to work with SEEMA? contribute to SEEMA?
Local Hospitals High Decrease the burden of GBV cases Provide a safe physical
(e.g., Al Academy in the hospital. space in the hospital for
Charity Hospital, SEEMA to conduct its
Omdurman Maternity Use SEEMA’s expertise to provide operations.
Hospital, Omdurman better care for patients.
Teaching Hospital) Provide trained human
resources that are specific to
SEEMA’s cases.
World Health Medium
Organization to High
e
pl
m
Sa
n
tio
lu
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
SUDAN CASE STUDY SOLUTION
e
pl
SYNOPSIS
m
Sa
In 2022, the SEEMA Center for Training and Protection of Women and Children’s Rights (SEEMA Center),
a non-profit organization founded by Nahid Gabralla in Khartoum, Sudan, was focused on eradicating the
practice of female genital mutilation (FGM). The SEEMA Center was facing cultural, educational, and
political challenges in Sudan, as well as tensions from decades of civil unrest, which created barriers for
n
Gabralla’s fight to eradicate FGM. The SEEMA Center’s work was also greatly challenged by the deep
tio
cultural roots of the practice that existed within the country and in the surrounding regions. FGM was a
traditional ritual that generated a culture of illegal procedures and groups of extremists. These groups
countered the work of the SEEMA Center and made Gabralla’s job all the more difficult. Gabralla had to find
lu
effective strategies and partnerships to help her achieve her organization’s goal of eradicating FGM.
So
OBJECTIVES
• Understand the history and the risks associated with FGM.
• Critically identify and list the various barriers to the solutions that the SEEMA Center is promoting.
• Effectively deconstruct and map the social, physical, political, and economic determinants of FGM by
using the health systems framework of the World Health Organization (WHO).
• Construct a care value delivery chain for the implementation of the SEEMA Center’s initiative and
recognize the gaps in the delivery chain.
• Identify potential stakeholders and describe how they contribute to the SEEMA Center’s goals.
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
, e
pl
m
Sa
ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
1. What are the risks associated with the practice of FGM?
n
2. What are the barriers challenging SEEMA Center’s operations and associated solutions?
tio
3. What are the social, physical, political, and economic determinants of FGM? Organize them using the
WHO health system framework.
4. Organize the SEEMA Center’s operations in a care value delivery chain, while identifying gaps and
lu
areas for improvement.
5. Identify and conduct an analysis of potential stakeholders who can directly or indirectly contribute to
the SEEMA Center’s goals.
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
, e
pl
m
Sa
ANALYSIS
1. What are the risks associated with the practice of FGM?
n
Students should review the complications discussed in the
tio
case (see case sub-heading “Complications” under case heading “FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION”),
and discuss how they intersect and impact the lives of women and girls over the long term.
lu
FGM can result in bleeding, cysts, urinary tract infections, ulcers, pelvic inflammatory diseases,
dysmenorrhea, infertility, and many other physical complications for girls and women. These complications
require a tertiary health care facility for treatment, which may not be available or affordable to the people
So
in these communities. Therefore, many women and girls visit local clinics or resort to home remedies to
treat these types of physical complications. Without proper treatment, however, further complications often
develop; in worst-case scenarios, these complications can result in the death of the patient.
FGM can also lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. The environment in Sudan allows
gender inequality to persist because husbands typically retain full authority over the care of their wives. As a result,
women are often subjected to improper medical procedures. For example, the husband may remove surgery sutures,
potentially causing the woman excessive shock and significant bleeding. Some women may avoid sexual
intercourse with their husbands, which can lead to divorce due to non-compliance. In Sudan, divorced women
typically face a lack of security, income, safety, and general ability to provide for themselves, which perpetuates
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
, EXHIBIT 1: SOCIAL, PHYSICAL, POLITICAL, AND ECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF THE FGM FRAMEWORK
Social Factors: Physical Factors:
MEDICINES AND
• GOVERNANCE •
TECHNOLOGIES
•
• • Military restricting • •
resources (phone and •
internet) •
e
• Medical exam
•
pl
HUMAN
m
RESOURCES PEOPLE
• Lack of funding and INFORMATION
human resources • Circumcision needed for
Sa
• Women and girls (their
• families and husbands)
beauty, purity, and
marriage
• •
•
•
n
• •
• •
tio
SELF-DELIVERY FINANCING
• Political Factors:
lu
• Dependence on • Extremist support for
husbands for livelihood FGM
Economic Factors: • •
So
• Dependence on
husbands for livelihood •
• •
•
•
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
, EXHIBIT 3: STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS
Stakeholder name Impact Why is it important to the How can the stakeholder
stakeholder to work with SEEMA? contribute to SEEMA?
Local Hospitals High Decrease the burden of GBV cases Provide a safe physical
(e.g., Al Academy in the hospital. space in the hospital for
Charity Hospital, SEEMA to conduct its
Omdurman Maternity Use SEEMA’s expertise to provide operations.
Hospital, Omdurman better care for patients.
Teaching Hospital) Provide trained human
resources that are specific to
SEEMA’s cases.
World Health Medium
Organization to High
e
pl
m
Sa
n
tio
lu
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
