Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation

International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation

Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM)

Female genital mutilation/cutting is a gruelling and barbaric procedure affecting millions of girls across Africa. The surgery involves exposing vulnerable girls by partially or completely cutting their external genitalia.

FGM is normally done by untrained individuals, such as female relatives or traditional healers within the community. The procedure is performed for various reasons, including promoting the idea of social acceptance as girls transition into adulthood. However, FGM leaves girls with a scar of trauma and psychological wounds that impact their quality of life. Since the procedure is still practiced in various countries across Africa, education and guidance are needed to stop the alarming rise of female genital mutilation.

Psychological impact of FGM

FGM has caused a wealth of agony and pain, affecting young girls' mental health. PTSD, anxiety disorders, and depression are some of the many consequential and long-lasting factors that girls suffer from.
 
According to research, a mental health practitioner has stated that one of her patients still remembers the trauma thirty years later, highlighting that FGM creates an everlasting cycle of flashbacks and horror. Also, the remembrance of how the procedure is performed can act as a catalyst as to why females experience many psychological disturbances.
 
Many charities specialise in improving the mental health of the victims of female genital mutilation. Safe Hands for Girls, the United Nations, 28 Too Many, and Amnesty International provide resources and support to help girls, including creating community projects and workshops to address the issue and help manage their well-being.

FGM - The debate between Culture and Religion

Culture and religion are two factors that are misconstrued in FGM.

The Gambia, an African country with 96% identifying as Muslim, still practices the procedure as they believe it will increase beauty, social status, and purity, which may result in people believing that female genital mutilation ties in with the Islamic faith. However, this idea is void.

Many charities, scholars, and those who practice Islam condemn the notion that religion should be used as a justification as to why many females commit this harrowing act. Muslim charity Islamic Relief highlights how Islam disapproves of this practice, as there is no mention of female circumcision within the Quran, and deliberately causing harm to yourself or others goes against Islamic teaching.

From this, we can gather that female genital mutilation is a cultural practice instead of a religious one. Charities such as Islamic Relief are helping to challenge this myth by debunking religion as the cause of FGM by empowering girls to understand their rights and reduce gender inequalities.

FGM - The Gambian women survivors' stories

The Gambia is a country swarmmed with FGM cases, with 75% of females having undergone some form of FGM. Though female genital mutilation has devastated the lives of many girls in Gambia, some have been brave enough to share their story.

Read and listen to the brave survivors stories; however, there are many untold stories, with victims living in pain and life-threatening scars.

A case of how FGM caused infertility

Sainey Ceesay, a Gambian citizen and survivor of female genital mutilation, bravely shares her account of the procedure. She was forcibly taken from her parents as she underwent the surgery. This has affected her many years later, including becoming infertile. Ceesay started The Safe Haven Foundation in 2017 to help women struggling with infertility and bring hope to the women of Gambia.

​Sainey shared her FGM ordeal with the Deb'bo Unfiltered Podcast. Click here to listen 

Jaha Dukureh - FGM Survivor and Campainger

Jaha Dukureh, a Gambian women's rights activist, underwent the FGM procedure when she was an infant. Since then, she has successfully led to the ban of FGM in Gambia, which is captured in a documentary, “Jaha’s Promise.” This is her documentary video, shedding light on her campaign against an extreme form of FGM that was deeply rooted in Gambia.

Fatou Baldeh, MBE - FGM Survivor and Campaigner

Fatou Baldeh, MBE, a Gambian native and survivor of FGM since the age of seven, is a strong-willed advocate for helping eradicate female genital mutilation. She shares her heartfelt account of the procedure, revealing how she endured psychological grievances, including recalling how the surgery was performed. Her trauma has inspired her to create an extraordinary foundation.

​In 2018, Women in Liberation & Leadership (WILL) was formed to help create a welcoming and inclusive environment for girls in Gambia. This programme has helped females recognise the dangers of FGM and violence. Her efforts have resulted in her being awarded an MBE and gaining recognition for her successful FGM campaigns.

Join the FGM campaign - Spread awareness and educate yourself

FGM has affected many girls globally, but are we doing enough to challenge and stop this procedure? Unicef, a charitable organisation helps tackle female genital mutilation by creating informative blogs and articles to highlight how FGM has violated human rights for young females and caused their lives to be in turmoil.

Community projects in countries such as Gambia, Somalia, and Kenya have also tackled the spread of FGM by informing members of the local community of the cruelty and biological harm the procedure can cause and eliminating any myths and false narratives.
 
A prominent community project set up in Gambia to increase awareness of FGM includes GAMCOTRAP is an empowering initiative designed to advocate for and end female genital mutilation. They regularly provide training sessions, workshops, and talks to help promote the severity of female genital mutilation and the detrimental consequences it can cause. Other community projects that provide similar help and resources include providing medical training, including counselling to help support victims, and youth empowerment workshops to help young people challenge these harmful practices.
 
So educate yourself, spread awareness, or donate to charities. Together, we can help eradicate and end the violent practice of female genital mutilation.

Author: Ruwayda Mohamed

Ruwayda is a student at the University of Westminster, London. She is passionate about girls' and women's rights.

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