Patriarchy and Gender-Based Violence: An Ecofeminist Analysis of FGM Practices

This study explores the intersecting experiences of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and forced marriage among unaccompanied minor refugee girls from Somalia, employing a feminist and ecofeminist theoretical framework. Despite international efforts to eliminate these practices, including Sustainable Development Goal 5.3, they remain pervasive, often justified through cultural, religious, or familial traditions. Drawing on qualitative data collected through semi-structured interviews with 20 participants residing in a refugee shelter in Greece, this research investigates how girls experience, internalize, and resist these forms of gender-based violence. Thematic analysis revealed four core themes: patriarchal control over the female body, cultural obligation and reproduction of violence, lasting trauma and silencing, and emerging resistance and agency. The findings underscore that FGM/C and forced marriage are not isolated or archaic practices but function as mechanisms of bodily discipline and patriarchal governance. Ecofeminist theory offers a powerful lens through which to understand how these practices mirror the broader control and exploitation of both women and nature. By centering the voices of marginalized girls, this study contributes to critical discourses on gendered violence, displacement, and resistance, advocating for survivor-informed interventions and policies.