The first time I heard about female circumcision was when I overheard a woman casually asking another woman where she could circumvise her baby girl. I didn't really think much of it but as I grew older, I began to hear horrible stories about female genital mutilation (FGM) and the negative impact it has on its victims.
One of the stories I can remember was Kakeyan Ntaiya's talk on TED. She talked about how FGM in her hometown was a cultural rite of passage that leads to womanhood and it has to be done on every girl. Ntaiya explained how she was mutilated after 8th grade, without any Anesthesia or even proper hygiene. I can only imagine the pain she had gone through that day. She further explained that Some of the girls weren't properly taken care of and they died.
I'd say, perhaps the lucky ones are the one that was still a baby when they were circumcised but it is still nothing but cruelty. I realized women and girls have been long time enslaved in the name of culture. Though Ntaiya was Kenyan, I thought, how cruel is Kenya for doing this to their females? But Recently I realized that Nigeria is ranked the third in the world with women who have undergone FGM according to Unicef as of 2022 (see ref.).
For those who don't know, female genital mutilation (FGM) often mildly referred to as female circumcision is the partial or total remover of the female genitalia. It is often practised in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. This practice has no benefit whatsoever for the female victims but rather harm. traditionally, FGM is done to reduce a girl's sexual urge and pleasure which will help to control her body and prepare her for marriage.
As science is concerned this tradition is harmful, has no health benefits and It can cause many health complications like urinary problems, pain, infections, childbirth complications, menstrual problems and a lot more. Aside from the health issues that are associated with it, it also affects victims psychologically as well, leading to low self-esteem, depression, and trauma according to WHO (see ref).
FGM must be stopped because it is a violation of children's and female minors' rights. Their right to health and right to life (in case of death). Once done, it can't be undone and the female victim has to live with that sigma all the rest of her life.
In conclusion, this is a very sensitive topic that is often neglected in our society. We need to create more awareness and educate the public to stand against this harmful and cruel traditional practice that only leads to trauma and deformity in women. Women and girls deserve better! And they deserve freedom from this practice!
Ref:
unicef
This is my entry for October inLeo's prompt for day 9.
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