Transnational Observatory

Why Spain and The Gambia?

The intensification of transnational migration has given rise to the configuration of a new reality on a global scale, which will continue to be constantly transformed. People travel with their beliefs and traditions. In the same way, FGM has crossed borders, forming part of the cultural background of those who migrate. In Spain, 57.63% of the female population with ties to countries where FGM is performed comes from Nigeria, Senegal and Gambia (Kaplan and López, 2017). Of the three countries, Gambia has the highest prevalence of the practice, reaching 75.7% among women aged 15 to 49 (MICS, 2018). For this reason, both countries were chosen as the basis for an investigation with a longitudinal approach in time and a circular approach in space. We interconnect two cultural realities, creating the appropriate space to acquire a deep knowledge of the roots and meanings of the practice. This allows effective strategies to be developed, taking advantage of the synergies that arise from migrant communities that act as opinion generators and reference models in their countries of origin.