The Horror of F.G.M.

120 million: The estimated number of women and
young girls around the world who have undergone
some form of female genital mutilation.
- Time magazine, April 1999

      I recently traveled to Africa for three weeks. During my stay I became quite friendly with some of the local girls my age. In confidence after a few drinks one night, two of them explained to me the ancient ritual, which they had endured - Female Genital Mutilation. I was so taken back by this horrible ritual which was preformed on their bodies that I did some of my own research on it when I returned home to Canada, and to my surprise FGM occurs worldwide (even in the USA and Canada).

"The elimination of clitoral sexuality
is a necessary precondition for the
development of femininity"
- Freud

FGM, three letters with a deadly meaning. A cross-cultural and cross-religion tradition that provides the young female victims with family honor, protection against spells, cleanliness and insured virginity. Female Genital Mutilation once was thought to be only preformed in remote villages of foreign countries around the world, but modern statistics have proven otherwise. FGM is preformed by Muslims, Coptic Christians, Indigenous groups, Protestants, Catholics and at this very moment there is an estimated 8-10 million females at risk in the Middle East and Africa, and about 10 thousand in the United States.

These females may be as young as 1 month when they are taken from their homes, usually by women (aunts and elders), to experience the most painful prehistoric operation of their life. An operation that "changes" a girl from common property to the private property of her husband-to-be. However, this issue is not a cultural issue. It is an issue concerning the abuse of children and women's basic human right's to good health. FGM is an unnecessary procedure with almost fatal side affects both short and long term. It is a form of brutal female torture. Pieces of glass, razor blades, dirty knives, and scissors are often used for the operation. Anesthetics and antiseptics are rarely used. There are three types of operations:

1) "Sunna" circumcision is the mildest form of FGM. It involves cutting off the hood/tip of the clitoris. The word "sunna" means tradition in Arabic.

2) Excision (clitoridectomy) involves the cutting of the clitoris and all or part of the labia.

3) Infibulation (pharaonic circumcision) is the most severe. This is practiced mainly in Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan. All of the external genitalia are removed including the clitoris and labia. The scraped sides of the vulva are then sewn across the vagina with catgut, thorn or thread leaving a small opening (the size of a match stick head) for menstrual blood or urine. On a woman's wedding night she is cut open to allow intercourse and later sewn shut again to ensure fidelity to her husband.

After the traumatic operation, due to loss of blood, the women black out for days and are immobilized for weeks due to the immense pain. A male equivalence of these operations would be cutting the head of the penis off. The girls are told to never speak of this taboo subject or their painful experience again. "I knew that I wasn't supposed to tell of my pain to anyone. I had to sit and suffer in silence, as if nothing had happened," recalls a Somalian supermodel, Dari Waris. Dari was only 6 years old when she was mutilated.

Not only do the women suffer from physical and psychological problems (such as post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic psychosomatic ailment and low self esteem) they also suffer from sexual frigidity, genital malformation, hemorrhaging, chronic pelvic complications, recurrent urinary retention and infection. The women find it extremely difficult to achieve orgasm (if they can), develop scars, cysts, swelling, irritation and infection causing life-long problems such as painful, menstruation and intercourse. Some women even become infertile. Childbirth is almost fatal for both the newborn baby and mother and to the malformation of the birth canal, the baby risks getting it's head crushed.

Throughout history different methods have been used to ensure a women's virginity such as the famous European chastity belt during the 12th century, but none of these methods have ever been so crude. There are theories that claim male circumcision is preformed to demonstrate the father's demand for obedience from his sons, however this does not apply for female circumcision as a female does not threaten the father's possession of the mother as a sexual object.

A woman is considered "unclean" by the local villagers and defiantly unmarriageable if she does not comply with this tradition. "A girl who does not have her clitoris removed is considered a great danger and ultimately fatal to a man if her clitoris touches his penis". She is considered sexually dubious and unfit to marry, as she is full of sexual desire. Yet, men are now realizing that sex is extremely unpleasant for women who have undergone FGM, as before intercourse the genital area must be cut open! However in 1979, "Dr. James E. Burt claimed that excision did not prevent sexual pleasure, but enhanced it." Regardless, the risk of HIV is heightened due to the tearing of the wounds during intercourse. Maybe, in time, these men will realize that "sex is more fun if the women thinks so too."

Female genital mutilation is practiced all around the world: throughout the Middle East and in 26 African countries. In Africa alone there are more than 100 million girls at risk. During the past 10 years it is becoming more of an issue in places like the United States, England, France, Canada and Australia due to refugees and immigrants who attempt to maintain their identity by following their traditions. These traditions are for the most part worth preserving, FGM just happens to be one that's not.

In 1986, a nurse in Atlanta Georgia was charged for severing her 2-year-old niece's clitoris. This was the first publicized case on this taboo subject and parents became concerned for their children growing up in this "wild America". Djbouti, Ghana, the Ivory Coast and Nigeria have outlawed the practice of FGM, however this law is not strictly enforced. Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Britain, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Kenya and Senegal have also outlawed the practice. Even though the practice is outlawed, thousands are still at risk as operations continue in secrecy. Canada almost passed a bill to legalize FGM if preformed by a licensed surgeon, but has since made this procedure also illegal. The Gambia's government banned the use of media to oppose FGM or portray its medical hazards. In 1994 officials claimed that FGM affected 50% of women in Egypt. In 1995 a National Health survey of 14000 Egyptian women (aged 14-59) revealed that 97% had been genitally cut. In November 1996, a similar survey showed that 94% of women were genitally mutilated.

Women's rights activists have been raising this issue to the public since the 1970's. UNICEF and the World Health Organization preach to the public that FGM is a violation of human rights; Oprah Winfrey even brought the issue to her show in 1995 (Cruel Tradition, 1998). As the awareness has heightened, the contradictory messages from religious figures and health authorities are finally being resolved as religious leaders are pointing out that there is no mention of such a "holy" act in their bibles.

With a higher level of schooling, families are less likely to submit their female children to the operation of FGM, and with higher levels of education, girls are less likely to allow themselves to be submitted. FGM victims are now granted "political" asylum by the United States, as this issue is becoming recognized and understood on a national level. A person deserves freedom from discrimination, freedom from cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment, and freedom of expression and right to health... Women are people who deserve this too.