Walking that Walk- II: Anti- rape legislations - The Good, Bad and Ugly

As a matured progressive society even if we ignore and discount the un-becoming comments by a host of public figures on the big ‘R’ word  [only one of the many links showing a host of public figures putting their foot in their mouths on this issue made it to this write up - http://www.buzzfeed.com/tasneemnashrulla/22-comments-about-rape-that-will-make-you-really-angry] culturally, there is still a vast number of people who are either in denial of the severity of such offences or believe in one more of the following [for lack of a better word] ‘Anti- progressive Myths’:

X     Anti-rape movements are ‘Feminist’: These are not crimes against womanhood, these are targeted against perceived ‘vulnerability’.  It is hence not a ‘Feminist’ issue but a ‘Human Rights’ issue.

X     The victim brought it upon to themselves:  There is NO [absolutely NO] action of the victim that is a good enough an excuse to blame the victim. Nothing invites an infringement like this. [If satire is doesn’t offend you here’s a good watch- http://youtu.be/8hC0Ng_ajpY ]

X     Stereotypes for victims and offenders: There are no types or generic characteristics of Victims and also of Offenders with regards to age, color, background, lifestyle or track record or what they wear or do or where they live.

X    Low number of reported cases means lower rate of crime:  Studies in USA estimate~ 54% cases go unreported, ~ 70% in UK [ this was discouraging enough to not research this any further or refer to statistics on reported cases as benchmarks].

X     Ratio of falsely reported cases is very high:  Though there is no exact study on this, the number of falsely alleged cases is considered ~ 2-8% varying across various countries on basis of some older studies i.e. around 92of100 victims are not lying. Good enough case to have stringent laws.

This is one of the most complex crimes to deal with, where the burden of proof on the victim is in addition to coping with the social stigma attached to it. Being lost in Mens rea, Actus reus- definition of what constitutes [does not constitute] the crime and Consent or no consent etc. takes preference over victim’s personal trauma or need for closure.

Sometimes, crimes seem tad too dynamic and the law a bit rigid. In times [that we all hope have] gone-by some cultures accepted punishing the victims as ‘closure’ or ‘restoration’ to victim’s family. Such offences have travelled through time to evolve from Not being an offence at all to Being an offence towards ‘family-honor’  to Being a ‘side–kick’ offence [i.e. punishable depending on gravity of alleged offences like murder or abduction or acts of cruelty] to being recognized a Human Rights' Violation. In the modern day while the penal provisions in most countries – range from Imprisonment for 2 years to Life, below are examples of the Good, Bad and the Ugly of [Anti] Rape Legislations:

The Good: Thanks to the UN membership charter that considers rape as a human rights’ violation, such offences at least get considered as an offence. i.e. 170+ countries have [some] legal provisions against such crimes.

The Bad: Take it with a pinch of salt- In Panama, penalty for rape and/or domestic violence carries sentences of 2 to 4 years imprisonment but you steal a cow and its 8 years of jail time.

The Ugly: Good thing the Islamic law-following countries prescribe capital punishments for offenders, but in practice there have been instances where the victims have been punished with jail time and lashes quoting the unwritten Sharia Law for not adhering to gender segregation [i.e. being alone with a man who is not a relative].

In a civil, abiding society the objective of law should as much to prevent and deter the crime as much it is to bring justice or maintain order….Here’s how a legislation could help:

1.       Despite the cultural differences across the world, a global minimum standards anti-rape code could really elevate the effectiveness of the legislations in a lot of countries.

2.       Such crimes are a matter of immediate attention and should qualify for Fast track trials Speedy redressal of offences and stringent penal consequences would go long way to deter the rate of crime.

3.       Incorporating provisions for a strong support system by way of registered help networks for victims that could be involved at early stages of the incident to aid reporting, medical examinations, judiciary processes and most important psychological and social rehabilitation of victims.

4.       Legal provisions to penalize practices like human trafficking, domestic violence, bride-price, female feticide, FGM etc.

Data Sources:

1.            http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/statistics/crime/CTS12_Sexual_violence.xls

2.            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_rape_accusations#cite_note-17

3.            http://www.newsroompanama.com/panama/6898-stealing-a-cow-more-serious-than-rape-new-law.html

4.            http://pamelageller.com/2013/07/statistics.html/

5.            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatif_girl_rape_case

6.            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_statistics#Rape_statistics_by_country

By Jotika C

PS: Since this is the sequel to ‘Walking that walk’, makes a case for a quick introduction:  While we come across a lot of ambitious ‘intends’, the harsh reality remains that talking that talk is a lot easier than walking down that tough road to action. The ‘walking that walk’ series is an attempt to distinguish the talks from the walk and let data speak for itself.

FGM

Despite a 1995 ministerial decree forbade the practice of Female Genital Mutilation and made it punishable by fine and imprisonment the figures remain shocking. It is one of the most pervasive and silently endured human rights violations. It has a reflective influence on a girl-child’s development throughout her life. This procedure is carried to retain women "pure," marriageable and incapable of enjoying sex. The procedure is usually performed on girls between the age of 4 to 12 years, prior to the onset of puberty.  However, the procedure may be carried out shortly after birth to some time before the age of marriage.

Female genital mutilation is the damage and removal of normal genital tissue for non-medical reasons.  It is harmful to both girls and women and has no known health benefits. The consequences range from acute severe pain and mental trauma to long-term consequences, which lead to increased maternal and neonatal mortality.  There are variety of cultural and religious reasons reported for female genital mutilation, however, FGM is not based on any confirmed religious belief.

A series of later ministerial decrees allowed certain forms but prohibited others. Doctors were prohibited from performing the procedure in government health facilities and non-medical practitioners were forbidden from practicing any form. In 1996, a ministerial decree prohibited all medical and non-medical practitioners from performing FGC in either public or private facilities, except for medical reasons certificated by the head of a hospital’s obstetric and gynecology department. Perpetrators can lose their medical license and be subjected to criminal punishment.  Egypt officially banned female genital mutilation in 2007

According to a campaigning organization “CAGeM” they surveyed girls and asked for reasons to support the practice and they answered that circumcision is an important religious tradition (33.4%), cleanliness for girls (18.9%), cultural and social tradition (17.9%) and chastity (15.9%). Of note, religious tradition is still the most important reason for performing FGM in Egypt, which agrees with the results obtained from Demographic and Health Surveys in Egypt in 2000 and 2003. In these surveys, 72% of ever-married women reported that circumcision is an important part of religious tradition and about two-thirds of the women had the impression that the husband prefers his wife to be circumcised.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) 94 percent of women in Egypt arrange for their daughters to undergo FGM, as it is the highest compared to the other Arab countries, as it’s only 76 percent in Yemen, 48 percent in Cote d’Ivoire and even in Kenya it’s only 46 percent.

“The Demographic and Health Survey in Egypt in 1995 reported that more than one-third of ever-married women cited cleanliness as a reason while a small number saw it as a way to prevent promiscuity before marriage. In some communities, some families refuse to accept women who have not undergone FGM as marriage partners. Other studies in Africa concluded that the most significant factors associated with the acceptance of FGM were religion, tradition and social pressure, as reported in Egypt and Sudan, while ethnicity was the most significant social predictor of FGM in Nigeria.  Also, and of note, sexuality was an important reason cited for this practice in some countries like Nigeria.” Said Nawal Ghatas, one of the women working for the CAGeM organisation.

CAGeM partners with established organizations in various communities around the world, encourage them to include FGM educational outreach in their programs, and supports these programs.  CAGeM also facilitates the formation of grassroots campaigns in FGM practicing communities; trains FGM practitioners on alternate careers, trains physicians on FGM repair surgery, and provide free treatment and surgery to FGM patients.  In addition CAGeM establishes safe houses for girls rescued from/escaping FGM.

As for the surveys that are conducted by the U.S.-based Macro International every 5-6 years that up to 91 percent of girls in Egypt between the ages of 15-49 have been circumcised when they were younger and could not protect themselves.

Even though this practice has been outlawed in Egypt in 1997 but no one has ever been prosecuted. It has been banned due to the psychological and physical violence against children, and how harmful and dangerous it is.

Written by Monica Elashy

Out of the four different types of operations the one that Egyptian girls undergo and is common in the rural areas is type three which is the removal of part or all of the external genitalia and stitching and/or narrowing of the vaginal opening leaving a small hole for urine and menstrual flow.

There are several reasons behind this big decision in a girl’s fate, which is religious requirement, preservation of virginity, better marriage prospects, the enhancement of male sexual pleasure, prevention of promiscuity, or good tradition.

"The importance given to virginity and an intact hymen in these societies is the reason why female circumcision still remains a very widespread practice despite a growing tendency, especially in urban Egypt, to do away with it as something outdated and harmful. Behind circumcision lies the belief that, by removing parts of girls' external genitals organs, sexual desire is minimized. " Said Nawal El-Saadawi, a Muslim victim of infibulation.

The reason behind banning female circumcision according to The Guardian was after the death of a 12-year-old girl in governorate Minya, in Upper Egypt, while undergoing the operation. 

Female Genital Mutilation: Scarring Women’s Rights

Source: http://www.brownpoliticalreview.org/2013/11/female-genital-mutilation-scarring-womens-rights/

Excerpt from “A Handful of Ash:” “It started out as a film about a practice that has afflicted tens of millions of women worldwide. It culminated in a change in the law.”
Compiling footage from their extensive interviews and research in Iraqi Kurdistan, Shara Amin and Nabaz Ahmed created a deeply moving film, A Handful of Ash. The film provides insight into the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Kurdish society and its impact on girls and the greater community. The film was shown in the Kurdish parliament, and has actually impacted law and practice. The numbers of girls being “cut” in these communities has fallen by over 50 percent in the past five years. The success of the film highlights a potential approach to combating FGM in communities around the world.
The nature of FGM in Kurdistan is deeply rooted in tradition and, to some extent, religion. A mullah tells the film-makers that “Khatana [the Kurdish term for FGM] is a duty; it is spiritually pure.” That is the position of the Shafi’i school of Sunni Islam that is practiced by Iraqi Kurds. It is the same branch of Islamic law that is predominant in Egypt, where studies show that up to 80 percent of women have been mutilated.
It is not only about religious traditions, however. “It is about controlling women’s sexuality and keeping them under control,” says Nadya Khalife from Human Rights Watch. The film exposes how this practice is harmful and how many religious leaders are now shifting their tone, acknowledging the weak connection between FGM and religious doctrine. FGM is practiced in 29 countries according to the WHO, and is not just confined to some Muslim countries in the Middle East – it is also widespread in parts of Africa and 
Indonesia.

A road sign against female genital mutiliation in Uganda. Amnon Shavit, Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons.

The actual practice of FGM varies from the cutting of the clitoris in some countries, such as Kurdistan, to removing all external genitalia. Cutting reduces a woman’s libido and is therefore considered necessary for women to remain “chaste,” helping her resist “illicit” sexual acts. The effects of the procedure have much wider consequences, as it puts a woman’s health at major risk. Medical complications often include severe pain, hemorrhaging, infection, and sores in the genital region. The practice also results in severe long-term consequences such as infertility, an increased risk of childbirth complications, and infant mortality. According to WHO estimates, there are around 140 million girls and women worldwide living with the effects of FGM.
Mutilating young girls is not only physically scarring, but also sets an emotional and mental expectation for a life of submission and obedience.The success of the film, as well as a range of organizations and individuals committed to ending the practice of FGM, has made a huge impact. This isn’t to say that the practice is generally declining, or that it will be easy to overcome. One reason for this is that many view FGM as a practice that is part of a tradition and a cultural right that must be respected. While the sentiment seems empathetic and harmless, this mode of thought unnecessarily harms young girls. Another argument has equated female cutting with male circumcision. This is fundamentally wrong, as male circumcision has little or no negative impact on the sexuality or future health of the male. Female cutting has much more severe and harmful consequences. Mutilating young girls is not only physically scarring, but also sets an emotional and mental expectation for a life of submission and obedience. In fact, according to medical experts, “excision of the clitoris is the equivalent of removing the head of the penis”.
Changing minds about FGM and reducing its prevalence is not simply a matter of spreading awareness. The practice of FGM is often rooted in a set of beliefs, values, social norms, and economic pressures that govern the lives of women around the world. In other words, the embeddedness of the practice will make it all the more difficult to eradicate. And although the criticism of FGM raises questions about the right to judge culture and the  precarious balance between tradition and modern consciousness, there is no excuse for  systematic cruelty towards any group, in any society. In the case of FGM, these cultural arguments come in direct contrast with human decency. Though the practice must be combated in a holistic manner, within its social and religious context, there is never a valid reason to violate a woman’s fundamental right to her own body and her own happiness.

Inab: I was thirteen when I was cut

Source: http://www.desertflowerfoundation.org/en/i-was-thirteen-when-i-was-cut/

Hi, it is me, Inab. I have promised to tell my story. Let me continue.
I live in a small village in Djibouti near the Somali-Ethiopian border. Our village is situated in the mountains and it is very dry. We have only a few days rain. 18 months ago we had the last rain. Nothing grows here and there is no water. There are almost no jobs and people struggle every day to survive. Most of the families live in small huts they have built on their own. They use every material they can find.
All girls are cut in our region. When I was six years old, my mother told me to visit our neighbour and to play with their children. This was a trap. An old ugly woman, the so called cutter, waited there and other mothers have brought their daughters too. The grown-ups held us down and blocked the entrance. The cutter started her bloody cruel work. The girls screamed of pain and blood was everywhere. I pretended that I fainted or even died. My mother took me outside to check on me. I took my chance and ran away. I hid myself for almost two days. Then I returned to our hut. The cutter had left the village and my parents were very angry.
I have not seen my girlfriends for many days and two of them disappeared forever. I was told they are in heaven now. Until I was thirteen years old I invented every year new diseases to save myself from FGM. Either I pretended to have a headache or my stomach was aching or I just hid somewhere. When I became thirteen they finally got me. I suffered the most terrible pain anyone can imagine. I felt so humiliated.
A few weeks later my mother disappeared. I did not know why. My father told me that I have to take care of my little brother and my two little baby sisters. But I had to go to school too. Every day I got up at five o’clock in the morning and prepared food for the whole family. School starts at seven o’clock. I was always the best in my class and since three years I am the representative of my class. I speak French, Arabic, Somali and English. My little brother Idriss has been discovered for the film Desert Flower, he plays Waris’ little brother, the “old man”.
By chance I met Waris Dirie and her Desert Flower Foundation. Waris became my hero and my dream was to work for the Desert Flower Foundation. I am a fighter against FGM. I have already saved my two little sisters. They are the only girls in our region not cut. But I want to save more girls. Today I work in the headquarters of the Desert Flower Foundation in Europe. A lot has changed in my life in the last few weeks. I will tell you more tomorrow.

LOVE,
Inab

Unresolved business: Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (UNICEF)

By Karol Alejandra Arámbula Carrillo

Feministing / July 2013

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As many as 30 million girls are at risk of being cut over the next decade if current trends persist, says UNICEF in its most recent report on FGM/C.

A total of 125 million women and young girls suffer the consequences of FGM/C as a result of social convention practices which are far from being eradicated. Even though the majority of men and women wish this to end, UNICEF’s report suggest that the number of victims will continue if adequate prevention programs are not implemented.

Currently, 29 African countries continue to practice FGM/C in which over the half of victims who are cut come mostly from Egypt (27.2 million), Ethiopia (23.8 million) and Nigeria (19.9 million). In half of the countries, the majority of victims were mutilated before the age of 5, while in the rest of the countries, cutting occurs between the ages of 5 to 14. Most daughters have had their genitalia cut and some flesh removed by traditional practitioners who are socially accepted, some of them also women and professional medical personnel.

The percentage of girls who are cut can be found across Africa and the Middle East, being the highest Somalia with 98%, Guinea 96%, Djibouti 95%, Egypt 91%, Eritrea 89%, Mali 89%, Sierra Leone 88% and Sudan with 88%. Other countries have showed a decrease, such as Liberia with 66%, Côte d’Ivoire 38% and Senegal with 26%. At the end of the scale Niger with 2%, Cameroon and Uganda with 1% show the lowest FGM/C cases.

Tendencies indicate that FGM/C is becoming less common, while opinions vary within the 29 countries studied by UNICEF. For example, 82% of women and girls who have been victims of FGM/C think the practice should continue, compared to 5% of girls and women who have not been cut. In Chad, 27% of men and boys think FGM/C is required by religion. In Ethiopia, 41% of girls and women with no education support the FGM/C, compared to the 5% of girls and women with secondary or higher education. In other countries such as Kenya, 59% of girls and women who have been cut do not see the benefits to the practice, while in Nigeria, 35% of men and boys and 31% of women and girls report that they do not know what the opposite sex thinks about this practice. Women in the United Republic of Tanzania aged 45 to 49 are approximately three times more likely to have been cut than girls aged 15 to 19, indicating that practices are in fact decreasing.  

FMG/C continues to pose a threat to millions of women. As concluded by UNICEF, genital cutting is often assumed to be a manifestation of patriarchal control over women, which suggests that men would be strong supporters of this practice.  Marriageability was often position as a motivation for FGM/C; however, relatively few women report this to be the case. Along with this was virginity, which was a common response of boys and men to questions regarding the benefits of FGM/C practices.

International efforts have taken place since 1979, when FGM/C appeared for the first time on the international agenda of the WHO Seminar on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children, all the way to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW); the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (1990), the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing (1995), the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (2003) and most recently, UN’s General Assembly first resolution calling on States to intensify efforts to eliminate FGM/C (2012) and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (2013).

Overall, attitudes that support the practice are declining, even in countries such as Egypt or Sudan. Progress has been confirmed by different initiatives that tackle this issue. Yet measuring aspects of FGM/C will need to continue for at least 20 ears, in both high and love prevalence countries, along with all the necessary efforts to achieve its irreversible eliminations. Political willingness will continue to play a key role in implementing these measures in favor of millions of women and girls.

Can Fatwas Stop FGM/C?

According to the WHO (World Health Organization), FGM/C (female genital mutilation/cutting) includes all procedures and practices that intentionally alter or injure female genital organs for non-medical reasons. It is mostly carried out on young girls between infancy and the age of 15 – normally by untrained midwifes without anesthetic, using unsterile cutting devices. Approximately 140 million girls and women worldwide live with the consequences of FGM/C and an estimated number of three million girls in Africa are at risk of undergoing the procedure each year. Every form of FGM/C harms women and girls physically as well as mentally. Consequences can include excessive bleeding that in some cases even leads to death, problems urinating, childbirth complications and stillbirths, serious infections, pain and fear during intercourse, feelings of oppression and depression, among many others. How can this severe human rights violation be stopped?

Recently, I have noticed that there seems to be a trend to end the harmful traditional practice FGM/C by obtaining fatwas from religious leaders of Islam. Putting an end to a custom that is part of an ancient culture, but often justified by the religion, raises the question whether fatwas are an effective tool for changing the underlying attitudes that have developed over the past 5,000 years. Can religious fatwas really stop FGM/C and change a cultural tradition at its roots?

To begin with, a fatwa is a groundbreaking legal edict in the faith of Islam that can be pronounced and issued by an Islamic scholar (e.g. Imam, Mufti, Sheik) after being discussed with other scholars. Whether a fatwa is legally binding or not depends on the religious tradition such as Sunni or Shi'a Muslims. In order to answer the question of whether fatwas can stop FGM/C, it is important to keep in mind that FGM/C is an ancient custom that has already been practiced long before the arrival of Christianity as well as Islam. However, now the custom is mainly carried out in African countries around the Sahel zone and emigrants from these countries have also brought their traditions to Europe, the U.S. and other countries. Even though the FGM/C is also practiced by Christians, the majority is Muslim and in many cases they erroneously use the religion of Islam as a justification for this cultural tradition.

FGM/C is practiced by specific ethnic groups and tribes rather than by citizens of a whole country. Not only in remote rural areas, but also in bigger urban centers, girls undergo this procedure and the tradition is prevalent. The traditional practice often constitutes a taboo and therefore is shrouded in silence that needs to be broken. Moreover, due to the lack of education and discourse, even the decision-makers and opinion leaders of specific groups are often unaware of the negative consequences and the harm the excision of female genitals causes for women and thus for the whole community. FGM/C is an accepted and required social behavior which is justified by a fatal system of beliefs that include: uncircumcised women are unclean, will not find a husband and have a bad life; women’s genitalia grow uncontrollably if they’re not cut off; it is a religious requirement; it is a necessary rite of passage to womanhood and it plays an essential part in raising a girl properly; only to mention a few.

As FGM/C is practiced by many Muslims who expect it to be a religious requirement in Islam, there has been a growing number of influential and high-ranking Muslim scholars  that have taken a public stance on the issue. Remarkably, there was an international  conference in which Islamic scholars, scientists, specialist researchers, medical doctors and activists of NGOs from around the world participated in order to take responsibility and discuss the inviolability of the female body as well as a ban of female excision in Islam. The conference took place on 22/23 November 2006 under the patronage of Prof Ali Gomaa, Grand Mufti of Egypt, and was hosted at the university of al-Azhar in Cairo, the intellectual center of Sunni Islam. After hearing speakers from across the different fields, the participants of the conference unanimously concluded that “the mutilation practiced in some parts of Egypt, Africa and elsewhere today represents a deplorable custom which finds no justification in the authoritative sources of Islam, the Qur’an and the practice of the Prophet Muhammad.” This historic conclusion was also written down in a fatwa.

The participants of the conference emphasized that the Prophet Muhammad never subjected any of his own daughters to excision and that the prohibition of inflicting harm on any human being is a key principle in Islam. Thus, the practice of FGM/C is a crime that violates the highest values of Islam and is consequently forbidden today. Furthermore, men and women are equal in terms of the human spirit they share. In the eyes of God, men and women are to be treated the same way regarding social responsibilities, education, finances, property and all other religious obligations. However, due to the harm female excision causes, it cannot be compared to male circumcision and therefore needs to be stopped. Islam honors women deeply and guarantees their physical and mental protection. Besides, both genders are equal as they complement each other – regardless of all natural differences, men and women are the honored creation of God.

With the conference at al-Azhar, Islam has proven to be a religion of learning that is able to adapt to changes in the world and develop further according to the current knowledge in science. The participants of the conference call upon Muslims around the world to put an end to this ancient custom and speak up wherever it is practiced. Additionally, they further request regional and international organizations as well as institutions, governments and the media to work towards the elimination of FGM/C, and to educate people about medical principles as well the negative effects the practice has on the health of women and society in general.

The practice of FGM/C shows the complex interplay between cultural traditions and religion. As religious leaders often have the last word, fatwas are a useful tool for supporting awareness campaigns of organizations and individuals towards putting an end to the custom. Yet, fatwas alone are unlikely to stop FGM/C as they only work against the symptoms, but not the roots of the cultural tradition that is derived from the myth of female chastity and purity. Fatwas are good to start with, but it will take more to change a culture at its roots that predates the rise of Islam as a religion.

Finally, more work needs to be done towards breaking patriarchal structures and common internalized misconceptions. Therefore, it is crucial to put all our efforts into the empowerment and education of especially women and children. This will change the consciousness of groups that still practice the tradition FGM/C today, and it will automatically stop them from doing so in the future. In the end, the last decision of rejecting the traditional practice, and thus changing prevalent social beliefs, has to come from the people itself and cannot be forced from the outside through rules or laws.

By Nicole Staiger

Sources and further information:

http://www.ali-gomaa.com/?page=scholary-output&so_details=22

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs241/en/

http://www.violenceisnotourculture.org/content/fatwas-against-fgm-mauritania-and-niger

http://www.unfpa.org/gender/practices2.htm#

http://www.desertflowerfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/Prevalence-of-FGM-and-Legal-Situation.pdf

By Nicole Staiger

The silent cry

As a medical student, I have managed or witnessed so many medical conditions: those that affects both sexes equally ( the trivial ones like headache) and those more specific for females ( dysmenorrhea, dystocia and other obstetric complications). Never for once did I really think that I will be faced with a practical case of female genital mutilation (FGM). I mean I have read about it in the books, i have received tons of lectures on it, i hate its practice and i preach against it(discussions and seminars) yet i had never really witnessed  any.
There has been so much emphasis and movements against it but yet it is still prevailing in our generation - the 21st century. Opposition to FGM focuses on human rights violations, lack of informed consent, and health risks, which include fatal haemorrhaging, epidermoid cysts, recurrent urinary and vaginal infections, chronic pain, and obstetrical complications.
It quite sad that even the enlightened In the society still engage in such useless, painful, inhumane, barbaric, ........I lack more terms to really express my disgust for this practice.
What's really is their reason for such act: " to reduce the girls libido". Are you serious that's their reason?
Now weighing the pros and cons of such practice, one will agree with me that such a reason isn't a reason after all.

What is female genital mutilation?

The WHO defined it as "all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons."
As crude as it sounds, many cultures in Nigeria still engages in such inhumane practice, my experience I believe is just one of the million cases.

My first encounter

Walking into the labour ward one early Monday morning laid a primigravida ( a woman pregnant for the first time) who was about to go into labour. The senior registrar and  house officers racked their heads making sure she had all she will need for the process. This was about 9:00am. She went into labour at about 9:30am..... This was indeed a long and difficult one. Thank God, the baby finally came.......however, the woman suffered a third degree perineal laceration. She was in so much pain that the birth of the baby failed to mask it.
Immediately, we then rushed her in the theatre in other to repair the laceration. This was about 10:30am.
The repair was completed at about 12 noon. Then came the part of urethral catheterization as the woman suffered acute urinary retention. The was however another hurdle as it was difficult to find her urethra opening: the anatomy of her external genitalia was distorted. It wasn't easy to say for sure which opening led to the bladder......the woman was in severe pain now as the local anesthesia was beginning to wear off accompanied by the acute urinary retention she was experiencing....
We still couldn't find the opening, blood was everywhere. This about 1:30 pm......


This was a clear case of FGM type III. Due to the adhesion formed by the procedure, the normal elastic nature of both labii were lost. This prevented the normal physiologic dilatation that occurs during labour thus.......lead to tearing ( perineal laceration). This distorted anatomy of her external genitalia made the urethral catheterization difficult. The acute urinary retention she experienced was due to the extreme pain she suffered from the laceration.
Indeed I felt her pain. I couldn't sympathize with her as it wouldn't  be professional.... I imagined the pain she went through as a young adult when this barbaric procedure was carried out on her. The struggle she offered to those who pinned her down to the floor, the trauma suffered thereafter........now, such pain all again ( in addition to the normal labour pain)......
Will she recover from this nightmare? Will she ever opt for SVD( spontaneous vaginal delivery) again? ......so many questions I asked myself.....all this just because her primitive culture felt they were doing her a favour by "reducing her libido"...... This is nonsense

 Other complications of this "primitive" act - FGM includes:

FGM has immediate and late complications. Immediate complications are increased when FGM is performed in traditional ways, and without access to medical resources: the procedure is extremely painful and a bleeding complication can be fatal. Other immediate complications include acute urinary retention, urinary infection, wound infection, septicemia, tetanus, and in case of un sterile and reused instruments, hepatitis and HIV. According to UNICEF,it is unknown how many girls and women die from the procedure because "few records are kept" and fatalities caused by FGM "are rarely reported as such"
Late complications may vary depending on the type of FGM performed. The formation of scars and keloids can lead to strictures, obstruction or fistula formation of the urinary and genital tracts. Urinary tract sequelae include damage to urethra and bladder with infections and incontinence. Genital tract sequelae include vaginal and pelvic infections, dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and infertility. Complete obstruction of the vagina results in hematocolpos.

I believe we should all be actively involved to fight FGM....first let's start with ourselves, changing our mindset.


By
Osita-Okoye, Chinaza

FGM and Labiaplasty: What’s the Difference?

Over the past four months, I have been working alongside a couple of UK organisations that aim to research and campaign against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Recently, a friend who is training to be a midwife sent me an article on labiaplasty and FGM, written by a practicing midwife in the UK. This gist of this article was that women such as myself campaign against FGM from a poor standpoint, as we come from a society in which labiaplasty is becoming increasingly common; this therefore (apparently) makes us hypocrites.
For those who are not aware, labiaplasty—also known as ‘designer vagina surgery’—involves surgically ‘perfecting’ labia minora and majora. It is the latest, in an ever growing list, of cosmetic procedures chosen by women who want to enhance their image. While some women may seek this as a result of large labia (which can make sex painful), others do so because of the growing pressure to meet society’s expectations of what constitutes an attractive female form.

According to some doctors and midwives, there is little difference between FGM and labiaplasty. Those same individuals feel that Western societies should remove the plank of wood from their own eyes, before attempting to remove the speck from others. I have to strongly disagree with this. 

First of all, I will examine the pressures exerted on those who have undergone FGM and labiaplasty. To an extent, there are similarities. I have come across stories of FGM victims who were told their clitoris would grow extensively should they not have it removed, that men would not want to marry them, and that they could not fulfil their duties as a woman. Similarly, some women who undergo labiaplasty do so due to the images of perfection imposed by the pornographic material industry; these images of women with perfect labia suggest that is ‘normal’. However, that is where my agreement ends.

Any woman (at least in the UK), who seeks labiaplasty will be fully informed of what she is electing to do. Under British law, surgeons are duty bound to inform their clients of the risks involved. These women will then have their labia adjusted in a clean, surgical environment. Similarly, the element of consent involved is different. In the UK, consent by coercion is not consent at all. A person who consents to a medical procedure must have done so as a result of their own motivations. This consent in the absence of coercion is closely related to autonomy. Suggesting that a woman who chooses labiaplasty has not done so as a result of her own autonomous decision making process is patronising.

In contrast, a woman who undergoes FGM will be told that it is necessary for a host of reasons that are untrue. She will not be informed of the risks associated, which include an increased chance of dying as a result of pregnancy or childbirth, painful menstruation, infection, and an increased risk of AIDS. FGM is usually performed in unsanitary conditions, with no pain relief, no medical assistance, and as a result is dangerous and frightening. As FGM is often performed on young girls who are not capable of understanding these risks, it cannot be argued that they are fully informed—that is assuming there are informed of any risks, at all. These girls will be coerced by their parents, and other members of their communities. They don’t seek FGM, they are forced into it. Their autonomy is not used, it is taken away from them. 

Attempting to draw parallels between FGM and labiaplasty is not only ridiculous, it is thoroughly unhelpful. Each person who does this arms the individuals who campaign to maintain the practice of FGM with ammo, which they will then use against us. Meanwhile, the real issues surrounding FGM campaigns will be ignored; these issues are that young girls are being subjected to a procedure that is inherently violent, in conditions that are unsafe, without their full consent. Until we stop trying to draw such petty comparisons, the real issues will be overlooked, and women worldwide will continue to suffer.

So to those who would like to argue that we cannot campaign against FGM while labiaplasty is practiced in Western society, yes we can. I am by no means an individual who would undergo unnecessary cosmetic surgery, but if others do, then so be it. Tarring myself and my fellow campaigners with the same brush as those 
who inflict FGM will not help anyone.

Laura Mc Keever

United Youth of Ireland

For immediate release 10/June 2012

Marking the passing of the Criminal Justice (Female Genital Mutilation) Act 2012

What: United Youth of Ireland Appreciation Ceremony to mark the recent passing of the Criminal Justice (Female Genital Mutilation) Act 2012 in Ireland.

Where: Mansion House, Dawson Street, Dublin 2

When: 6PM to 9PM, Friday 15 June 2012

Ifrah Ahmed and United Youth of Ireland (UYI) will hold an Appreciation Ceremony to mark the recent passing of the Criminal Justice (Female Genital Mutilation) Act 2012 in Ireland. Ifrah is one of the leading voices in the campaign against FGM in Ireland.

This event will take place on Friday 15 June 2012 from 6PM to 9PM and will celebrate the hard work, dedication and commitment of campaigners and government alike to see this Act come into force following almost a decade of work.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin Cllr. Andrew Montague is supporting UYI by hosting this event in the Mansion House in Dublin. Expected at this invitation-only event are key political representatives, non-governmental organisations, activists, academics and lawyers who have been involved in seeing this legislation come to fruition.

Ifrah Ahmed, founder of United Youth of Ireland, said “We are delighted that this important piece of legislation has passed through the Houses of the Oireachtas and is now law. Ireland as an island, both the Republic and Northern Ireland, at this moment has coherent, strong legislation against the practice of FGM. This sends an key message to everyone that FGM is unacceptable and that girls and women are worth protecting. We are looking forward to working together with NGOS, communities and the Irish government to eradicate FGM globally and this new legislation in Ireland is a significant step on that journey.”

Female circumcision: Edirin's Story

Little Edirin was excited. It was a holiday today, and she was getting to visit her grandmother. Edirin had plans already- she would wear her new denim pants, she would play with her grandmother, she would eat delicious fish, crafted with her grandmother’s amazing culinary abilities.

Just as Edirin entered her grandmother’s house, her excitement grew, happiness abounding in her heart as it swelled with joy. The capricious abandon of her young age and the marvellous treat that a child’s grandparents bring to her were enough to suffuse little Edirin with the resplendence of joy.

One evening during these holidays, Edirin’s grandmother asked her to go with her to a party. Just perfect, thought Edirin, I can wear my Jeans! As Edirin dressed up and went out, she saw the frown that creased her grandmother’s face. She doesn’t like it, thought Edirin, but that’s okay, what does Grammy know about Jeans?

When Edirin went to the house where her grandmother said the party was, it surprised her. There were dirty stools, and a few people sat on them. What party is this, Grammy, Edirin asked her grandmother. Everyone suddenly stared at little Edirin, but no one answered her. Just as Edirin decided she would speak to the reedy little girl sitting beside her, a blood curdling scream shook her, covering her with a sheet of ice. This is no party, Edirin thought. Every nerve in her body told her to run, to escape and to get away from there. She ran to the door, but huge men appeared out of nowhere and stopped her.

Cornered in a world where she didn’t know anything comforting, Edirin began to cry. Why am I here? What is going on? Why is Grammy keeping me here? Edirin looked at Grammy, hoping to catch her eye. But Grammy didn’t look at her. Edirin cried out through her sobs- promising she would be a good girl, saying that she was afraid, pleading that she wanted to go back home. But no one heard her.

A sallow woman came out of a room and looked at Edirin. You’re next, she said. Suddenly, Edirin was taken into the room. People forced her out of her clothes. She struggled, fought back, refused to let them take her clothes off. But what is a twelve year old girl against a group of grown-ups? Edirin was forced to the ground. She felt shamed and humiliated. One man held her legs, as another man sat on her chest holding her right hand, as another man held out her left hand. Edirin suddenly saw a flash of metal and noticed a knife. Before she knew it, a sudden sharp pain began down below. The knife pried her, cutting her, leaving her raw and wounded. Edirin felt raw pain as she bled. It was eventually over, but Edirin was broken, scarred for life. She wasn’t given a thing for the pain, nor a thing to clean her wound up.

She mustered the strength in her last sinew and walked out. The sight of her jeans with all the blood stains on it sickened her. Her grandmother smiled at her, but Edirin felt the burn of the wound that she had inflicted. Congratulations, Edirin, You are now a Woman, glowed her grandmother. Edirin went home to a grand jubilation. She was fed the best fish made by her grandmother. But the bitter taste of pain and betrayal remained in her mouth all the time.

Years later, Edirin carried the pain with her, still smarting under the emotional wounds she was delivered that day. For years, she couldn’t help but feel violated and betrayed. Her grandmother deceived her, and failed to protect her. Edirin never forgot the humiliation she felt as the men looked on while she was subjected to the ordeal. When Edirin goes to a gynaecologist, she wears a cloak of embarrassment, explaining why she looks different. The day she went through her sordid ordeal, they took something from Edirin, leaving her with a gaping void.