Female G mutilation

Female G mutilation

June 26th, 2007 / Women and Men, Egalitarian, Men and Women, Religion, Domestic, International

“Ni bapak tiri laki mak kau.”
-P. Ramlee
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For the moment:
Dark Eyes-Itzhak Perlman & Oscar Peterson
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*Half of what I wrote here I’ve already known for a year or so and never thought of writing about for this blog. Some weeks ago my friend forwarded me an article that sparked me to write this. She must’ve thought a quasi D-list feminist would have found it interesting (yet annoying) to read. Thanks to Na, some weeks later, I am writing a post about it.
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FGM is Female Genital Mutilation.
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However, due to some debate with regards to respect and sensitivity to other cultures and for a better approach, the UN has adopted the term FGC (cutting). However, World Health Org and Amnesty International often refers to it as FGM. So does Zain. If you still can’t follow, it is basically circumcision for women.
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You know, sunat? Chop.
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I will not go in to the debate of the respective religions or sects that practice this ritual or tradition. While there have been scholars who interpret books of religions that the root of this practice is of religious basis, but studies have proven that a vast majority of them insist that it is not. I’ve come to agree that it is generally cultural and regional.
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Most of which can be found in eastern, central and western Africa. Some parts of the Middle East adhere to this practice but part of it is done secretly. Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt, Djibouti, Guinea and Burkina Faso have very worrying statistics. There also have been reports that Indonesia is also affected. However, just like this post, the reports have been disputed and challenged.
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There are a few types of FGM. The most severe one is known as infibulation a.k.a. pharaonic circumcision (referring to the Pharaohs who were thought to practice this form). The girl’s legs are tied together up to 6 weeks for healing. Nothing remains of the normal anatomy of the genitalia except what is enough for her to urinate and allow menstrual blood to pass through.
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If that is not worrying and disturbing enough then you should know that it is normally carried out on girls age from 2-6. Without anaesthetic and in unhygienic conditions.
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Also, on the night of her wedding, the surgery is undone and intercourse can be very painful. There are also reports that after pregnancy, she is sewed up again. Some are found to be more at risk to deliver babies with c section and some of the babies die.
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One of the difficulties faced in the eliminating FGM is that it is from time to time looked upon as an imperial or colonial act by external influences. In the 50’s when the Brits tried to end this procedure in Kenya, it increased support for the Mau Mau guerilla movement.
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I assume this falls under the category of violence against women. While it is not explicitly recognized as a criminal act in countries where this act is prevalent, there are provisions in the Penal Code that extends to cover FGM such as causing hurt or causing harm. [I am not sure if it is covered under Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, CEDAW. At this point I can’t be bothered. This is my 3rd time rereading this post.]
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There are a few other things that I wanted to elaborate on, but honestly I can’t stomach to type it out. In short, it is painful.
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In some cultures it is also seen as a disadvantage to the girl in finding her a husband, if she does not go through with FGM. There is also belief that it helps a marriage.
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On a similar note, in Ethiopia, girls are married off after their first menstrual cycle. Which is not entirely uncommon for other parts of the world. However, for some, with or without knowing period math or health consequences, they get pregnant shortly after.
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*Before I go on further, it must be noted that in agricultural countries or societies, it is an advantage and practice to have more members in the family to work on their respective farms.
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Because some of them are so young and not grown entirely, their pelvis can’t bear the growth of the pregnancy. In turn, the pregnancy will go wrong or something to that effect. Besides the baby being affected, so does the bladder system.
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So now she can’t bear children or hold bladder and the ‘husband’ sends her back to her family. Over there, she can’t work the farm. And she smells bad because she just can’t hold it. Some older people have problem with their bladder. The bladder problem that these girls go through is much worse. What the family then do, is they build another hut, much smaller one, for her to live in solitary confinement.
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It is known that she will stay there, till who knows when.
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For the past 25 years, French surgeon, Pierre Foldès has been working on FGM patients. He and Jean-Antoine Robein discovered that all is needed to remedy this situation is a simple surgery (that will take months to recover and regain sensation) will remedy the situation. Currently he performs about 200 surgeries a year and continues to do so despite death threats.
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I am hungry and have no appetite. I think that’s about enough on FGM.