Knowledge

Here you can find links on academic articles, books, research and analytics. They can be useful for journalists, researchers and activists digging into the topic.

Female Genital Mutilation of Girls in Dagestan (Russian Federation). Report based on the results of a qualitative study on female genital mutilation performed on girls

Author:
Yu. A. Antonova, S. V. Siradzhudinova

This report pursues a mainly practical goal: to draw attention to the practice of FGM in Dagestan in order to mobilise concern for the problem among various sectors and organisations, whose combined efforts have the potential to eradicate the practice in the region. The report’s findings are based on interviews conducted in February-March 2016 with women respondents who have undergone such operations in childhood, as well as interviews with local experts in Dagestan. An analysis of the interviews with the female respondents also illustrates how women living in Dages- tan’s mountainous villages perceive and justify the practice of FGM. Final- ly, the report presents what is probably the first legal analysis of the prac- tice under Russian national law, with reference to international law and standards.

The Gynaecologist’s Gaze: The Inconsistent Medicalisation of Contraception in Contemporary Russia

Author:
Anna Temkina

This essay discusses the medicalisation of contraception by gynaecologists in present-day Russia. I explore the disciplining discourse and tactics of gynaecologists as experts who aim to orient women towards properly planned and prepared pregnancy. Gynaecologists are important agents of reproductive control because they instruct women in detail about reproductive health and contraception. However, these disciplining medical discourses and professional practices are characterised by inconsistency. In accordance with the demographic priorities of the state, doctors are more oriented towards pregnancy treatment than consultation on contraception, and they are inconsistent in their regulation of contraceptive use. This biopolitical regime reflects the demographic priorities of the Russian state – to increase the population of Russia – and the role of women as the primary objects of this policy.