FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION AWARENESS: THE TOOLS, THE LIES AND THE AGONY.

Today's awareness against the practice of female genital mutilation is carefully chosen to be more detailed. The story cuts across some countries in Africa where young girls and women battle dehumanizing age long traditions of this nature. It will take a whole lot of relentless efforts from all to wage war against the heartless continuous cutting.

FGM process varies from one culture to the other. To carry out the sole purpose of cutting, crude tools some of which can be found below are used.

Thinking about the fact that women inflict such pain on ther fellow gender in any guise is irksome. I heard besides using sharp objects, hot iron is used to burn the clitoris to kill its urge. Why o why mama? Why are women breaking women leaving behind streams of blood, sorrow and tears? Oh Mama Africa, has thy labour of 9 months been forgotten so soon? Has the agony of child birth vanished into the thin air? Only you, mother Africa, can save generations coming from FGM and that time is long over due.

Based on tweets seen on @thegirdlengr, I have decided to put a few together here with a bid to creating more awareness to my esteemed readers. FGM is not worthy to be experienced in the life of the girl child.

DEMONIC CLITORIS IN SIERRA LEONE

The perception of Sierra Leoneans towards the clitoris is untennable scientifically. Associating the clitoris with demonic powers is not only a fat lie but also derogatory to the women folks. Such primitive norms should be outrightly phased out. 

Mr Idris (Sierra Leone) falsely said: "The clitoris possesses demonic power and it can only be removed by the Bondo Society via #FGM. If the demon is not removed, the entire villagers will die. Yes, an uncircumcised clitoris can destroy a whole village!" 

THE GAMBIA RHETORIC

As regard how #FGM started in Gambia, here is a short narrative.

Grandma Karamo Kassama (a circumciser) said: "Some say it started as a result of the rivalry and enmity between co-wives. There was a man who decided to marry a second wife, who was younger than his first wife. The first wife got jealous and decided

to torture the younger wife, in such a way that their husband will not even love her anymore.

So, the first wife took a needle and start pricking the lips of the second wife, and they got swollen to an extent that she cannot even talk. When their husband returned home from work,

he met the second wife in that state and said that the second wife looks even more beautiful with her swollen lips. The first wife got even more jealous because of that statement, and took a needle again and pricked the ears of the second wife. When the husband returned home from

work, again he made the same statement.

Finally, the first wife in anger again cut the clitoris of the younger woman, her co-wife, saying that now the husband will send her packing. Instead, the husband took care of the wife until she got better, and appreciated that too. After

that, people continued the practice and then, religion, Islam accepted it as a good one. Since then, we keep on practicing it as a Sunnah of our religion with culture having a role in it."

FGM as sunnah in Islam? I beg to differ.

It should be noted that Gambia banned FGM in 2015 but it didn't stop; they say it's a "religious obligation."

BRIDE FATTENING RITE OF PASSAGE IN NIGERIA

The Efik and Ibibio people (Cross Rivers State, Nigeria) practise "Mbodi (bride fattening)"! Mbodi is a rite of passage that subjects women of marriageable age to undergo the process of body fattening. Often, it goes with #FGM!

The fattening process involves the

forceful feeding of would-be brides to make them fat. In these places, a fat woman is considered beautiful and presentable to the husband. Mbodi has its complications; it often leads to obesity! Obesity can lead to heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and certain cancers.

THE UGANDAN HIRING HUSBANDS 

In some parts of Uganda, husbands are not allowed to attend functions with 'uncircumcised wives;' hence, they hire 'circumcised women' to go with them.

The challenge that comes with hiring circumcised women is that they are allowed to dance through the night and end up snatching the uncircumcised women's partners.

Now, for fear of 'uncircumcised married women' losing their husbands to 'circumcised one', they are forced to undergo secret #FGM at an older age so that they can qualify to accompany their husbands to functions.

I feel sorry for women who have been subjected to this form of treatment by the society. Stronger institutions must emerge in our societies to erradicate beliefs norms and sentments related to FGM.

 

#EndFGM #NoFGM