Society confronts uncircumcised women

The present study was carried out to explore the tendency of Lak women toward female genital mutilation (FGM) and their views toward this practice. Interviews were performed with 26 women who had the experience of FGM. Based on the findings, the women’s definition of FGM and its goals and factors varied among the three generations. Women of the first generation had been forced into FGM by the society, women of the second generation by their families and the third generation by men. The findings also revealed that the tradition of FGM was not a rough obligation among women in this region, and gypsies encouraged women of the first and second generations to undergo FGM by resorting to religious principles and the specific economic situation of the region, and cosmetic advertisements were what provoked the young women to undergo FGM.