Study explores women's roles

Women have not been involved in traditional male circumcision in South Africa, but that is beginning to change as gender politics and a high number of single-mother households push the traditional boundaries of initiation ceremonies, researchers from the University of Witswatersrand write in an article in The Conversation. Focus group discussions among men and women and interviews with key stakeholders in Eastern Cape Province revealed mixed feelings about traditional circumcision and concern about deaths among initiates. The authors conclude that dialogue is needed at community level to find ways to include women in the initiation process (The Conversation, 7 October 2015)