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Speaking Out About FGM
by Anayat Durrani, 04.01.03
"Cultures think of FGM as a rite-of-passage event — like a 'Sweet 16' here in the U.S." |
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For more than 2,000 years, the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) has been inflicted on young girls and women throughout the world. FGM refers to the removal of part, or all, of the female genitalia.
Today FGM continues to be practiced and occurs in more than 28 African nations. It's also common in some Middle Eastern countries and, to a lesser extent, in parts of Asia, Europe, North America, and Latin America. It is estimated that worldwide, more than 130 million women living today have undergone this excruciating procedure.
FGM is performed on girls between the ages of four and 12. The most common type of procedure is clitoridectomy or excision — cutting off the clitoris and most of the external genitalia. The most extreme form of this procedure is known as infibulation or pharaonic circumcision — the removal of the clitoris, inner labia, and the internal part of the outer labia. The remnants are then sewn together, leaving a small hole to pass urine or menstrual blood.
FGM happens at an alarming rate — at least two million incidents a year. That's 6,000 cases daily. The continued practice of FGM has caused major public health and human rights concerns. FGM is an extremely painful procedure that can cause infection and severe bleeding, and even lead to death. It affects menstruation, makes vaginal sex difficult and painful, and can cause problems when a woman gives birth.
So why does this painful practice continue? Reasons cited for carrying out FGM include religious beliefs, cleanliness, a way of preserving honor by suppressing female sexual desire, or carrying on a community tradition. Though FGM is found among some Muslim communities in Africa, Islam officially forbids the practice.
FGM in Sudan
One country that has a high occurrence of FGM is Sudan. One study estimates that 89 percent of women in the northern states of Sudan have undergone some form of FGM. It is estimated that 300,000 procedures occur there each year, which translates to about 800 daily.
Shahira Ahmed, who is of Sudanese descent, is a program coordinator at the International Health and Human Rights Program at the Harvard School of Public Health. She has spoken widely on the cultural aspects of FGM.
"The majority of people in Sudan circumcise between the ages of six and nine," Ahmed explains. "This is different in other countries. Some do it at older ages and some do it right before marriage. The common thing among cultures is that all of them think of it as a rite-of-passage event — like a 'Sweet 16' here in the U.S."
FGM is seen as a way of ushering a girl into womanhood, and sometimes girls who've gone through FGM look down on other girls who haven't had this "rite of passage." Human rights groups are trying to help communities that practice FGM find a different way to celebrate a girl's womanhood without causing her harm.
Fortunately, there has been a growing movement to discuss FGM in Sudan. "What is key is that people are finally beginning to talk about the issue," Ahmed says. "Twenty years ago no one would dare talk about anything related to women's sexuality in public — especially women themselves!"
Ahmed said that efforts are being made in Sudan to educate citizens by way of public service announcements. And they seem to be having some effect. Celebration ceremonies for FGM are now done more quietly, particularly in the capital city of Khartoum. She also said that infibulation, the most extreme form of FGM, is practiced less often. "The challenge now is to get to the rural areas where the prevalence is still over 90 percent," she says.
To learn more about FGM in Sudan and other countries, check out:
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