46 UNICEF: <strong>Patterns</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Female</strong> <strong>Genital</strong> Mutilation/<strong>Cutt<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Sierra</strong> <strong>Leone</strong> UNICEF, 2007 Draft country programme document: <strong>Sierra</strong> <strong>Leone</strong>. E/ICEF/2007/P/L.9, 9 April. UNICEF <strong>Sierra</strong> <strong>Leone</strong>, n.d. Report on “Girls Tell Us Forum” (held <strong>in</strong> 2007). UNICEF and the M<strong>in</strong>istry <strong>of</strong> Social Welfare, Gender, and Children’s Affairs, <strong>Sierra</strong> <strong>Leone</strong>, 2006 Child Protection Situation Analysis <strong>in</strong> <strong>Sierra</strong> <strong>Leone</strong>, March. Yoder, P. Stanley, Nouredd<strong>in</strong>e Abderrahim, Arl<strong>in</strong>a Ahuahuni, 2004 <strong>Female</strong> <strong>Genital</strong> <strong>Cutt<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>in</strong> the Demographic and Health Surveys: A Critical and Comparative Analysis. DHS Comparative Reports No. 7. Calverton, MD, USA: ORC Macro.
47 UNICEF: <strong>Patterns</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Female</strong> <strong>Genital</strong> Mutilation/<strong>Cutt<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Sierra</strong> <strong>Leone</strong> Appendix 4. Guidel<strong>in</strong>es for data collection and <strong>in</strong>terview questions The follow<strong>in</strong>g were the guidel<strong>in</strong>es and questions used <strong>in</strong> the research. Guidel<strong>in</strong>es: Purpose The purpose <strong>of</strong> this project is to <strong>in</strong>vestigate the root causes <strong>of</strong> the cont<strong>in</strong>uation <strong>of</strong> FGM/C <strong>in</strong> selected areas <strong>of</strong> <strong>Sierra</strong> <strong>Leone</strong>, <strong>in</strong> order to develop more effective ways <strong>of</strong> address<strong>in</strong>g the issue that are sensitive to communities’ needs. We seek to learn from discussion, <strong>in</strong>terviews, and other participation from many sectors <strong>of</strong> the communities, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g religious, political and community leaders, youth and children, women and men, and we will collaborate with others concerned with the issue <strong>of</strong> FGM/C. The follow<strong>in</strong>g list gives topics for which researchers should collect background <strong>in</strong>formation to provide proper context for the qualitative data we collect from <strong>in</strong>terviews and group discussions. Background <strong>in</strong>formation to collect <strong>in</strong> each community: Name <strong>of</strong> community, location, brief history, ma<strong>in</strong> features <strong>of</strong> the community, etc. Natural and social environment Estimates <strong>of</strong> population. Demographic patterns from key <strong>in</strong>formants, <strong>of</strong>ficials, or document sources (e.g. ethnicities, occupations, etc.) What services are available? Such th<strong>in</strong>gs as schools, health and social services, water sources, sanitation, electricity, market, roads, transport, places <strong>of</strong> worship? Community organization: Leadership? Councils? Special programs or projects, etc. Media access—is there radio reception? Are there any televisions? Who watches and listens? Key leaders and <strong>in</strong>fluential people to meet: Interview or <strong>in</strong>vite to participate <strong>in</strong> a discussion group. We want to learn their op<strong>in</strong>ions about the topics under study, who they are <strong>in</strong>fluenced by, who do they <strong>in</strong>fluence, and what are their roles: Chiefs <strong>of</strong> ethnic groups, religious leaders, local council members and leaders, any political party leaders, NGOs or women’s organizations, head teacher or other teachers <strong>of</strong> school, health care workers, midwives or traditional birth attendants, traditional healers, extension workers, literacy tra<strong>in</strong>ers, other teachers, government employees, migrant workers who have been away. Questionnaires: Questionnaires were developed for each <strong>of</strong> the categories <strong>of</strong> people we planned to collect <strong>in</strong>formation from, provided below. Other <strong>in</strong>terviews were conducted without questionnaires to take advantage <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>formation available from other <strong>in</strong>dividuals such as clergy or activists who did not fit <strong>in</strong> the planned categories. At times the questionnaires were not adm<strong>in</strong>istered as <strong>in</strong>tended, either because several people jo<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> a conversation that had started as an <strong>in</strong>dividual <strong>in</strong>terviewee; because only one person <strong>of</strong> a category was available; or because <strong>of</strong> a decision by the <strong>in</strong>terviewer to do it differently. Some <strong>of</strong> the questions on our questionnaire forms were later deleted, s<strong>in</strong>ce some questions turned out to be less useful or the time required for the <strong>in</strong>terviews was impractical for the respondents; the rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g questions have been renumbered here. The questionnaires used for <strong>in</strong>dividuals and for group discussions are provided for the follow<strong>in</strong>g categories: Circumcisers/Initiators (CI) Community Leaders (Individual or Group) (CL) Fathers Group Discussion (FG) Health Care Specialists, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g doctors, nurses, MCH, TBAs, PHU staff, traditional healers (HC) Individual Men (IM) Individual Women (IW) Older Women Group Discussion (OW)
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