Female Genital Mutilation seems to have disappeared from the social consciousness and political and women’s health radar in most countries of the sub-Saharan countries. None the less, it is still alive and well; and each year millions of women and girls continue to undergo this horrific rites of passage ritual all in the name of tradition. If considered an infectious disease, this practice will belong to the same class of all-time health plagues like the Influenza of 1918, the Smallpox, Dengue fever, currently HIV/AIDS epidemic, Ebola among others.
The statistics are staggering and mind-boggling, but one is amazed at the worlds’ state of inertia which has aided the continuation of these practices. On every other issue, the world has reacted with swift and decisive measures to either modify behavior, save the victims or make offences against humanity punishable. On this particular issue and all other injustices against women, there seems to be a collective lack of will to implement the right and adequate measures to ensure women’s safety, sexual dignity, and respect for self-determination.
The practice of FGM is so wide-spread; there are virtually very few communities in Africa where it is not practiced. “WHO estimates that between 100 and 140 million girls and women worldwide have been subjected to one of the first three types of female genital mutilation (WHO, 2000a)¹. In the Nigerian article from WHO, it states “Nationwide among women who could identify the type of procedure, the commonest type of FGM is type II. Types I, II, and III are found in different areas within the country. Type IV is common in the north as “GISHRI” cuts, and in the south as the introduction of herbs into the vagina”².
These days, in the midst of all the lightening transmission of news of crimes committed on humans, the women of the Sub-Saharan region and other developing nations where means of news transmittal is almost non-existent have become faceless, voice-less victims of old-age traditions. Women are raped, mutilated, enslaved, turned into sex-toys in the search of economic emancipation, dehumanized by their own kin – the case of the “Breast Ironing rituals” of Cameroon (to be discussed in next blog); or “Widow Cleansing Rituals of the Kenyan tribes” (another blog soon); “Widows Rituals” (watch out for this blog) of most sub-Saharan African countries; the list goes on.
To complicate issues, the ease of HIV transmissions, compounded by the polygamous marriage arrangements still in vogue in some communities have seen some communities bereaved of parents and Orphans left in the care of siblings who are equally HIV positive. One needs to ask – where is the end to this carnage? Where is the social consciousness of the world?
Links to articles, reports and video clips on FGM. Please note, viewer discretion is advised. Video images are disturbing and may be unsuitable for the sensitive viewer. Click on the following links for more information.
¹ World Health Organization (WHO): Eliminating Female Genital Mutilation: An Interagency Statement
² WHO: Elimination of Female Genital Circumcision in Nigeria, December 2007
³ WHO: Prevalence of Female Genital Cutting among Egyptian girls by Mohammed A. Tag-Eldin et al
Video Clips
Female Genital Mutilation Statistics
Traditional Female Genital Mutilation in Sierra Leone
Through the Eyes of Cheryl – Female Genital Mutilation
Female Genital Mutilation – To Prevent Sexual Pleasure
Help End Female Genital Mutilation
A Painful Ancient Ritual – Female Genital Mutilation
All protocols observed, credits due and deferred to individual authors of videos and referenced articles.
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