STOP Female Genital Mutilation!

STOP Female Genital Mutilation!

Horrible! Insensitivity! Wrong Belief! These three heavy words constitute any stupid ritual. What are rituals? A religious or solemn ceremony performed and practiced since ages irrespective of whether right or wrong. Henceforth, these rituals are stupid of no sense. Are these stupid rituals more important than precious life of women? Yes according to some sects, they are. Do they really hold some logic? No, but still continued. One of these is Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
FGM (or female circumcision) is a ritual of partial or total removal of female external genitalia or an injury to the female genital organs for no medical reasons. It is carried out by a traditional circumciser who is involved with many sterile instruments like knives and scissors with or without anesthesia. The ritual is considered as a necessary part of growing a girl properly for her adulthood and marriage. It is a criminally act where healthy and normal female genital tissue are removed and damaged.

Waris Dirie, Victim of FGM struggled hard to rotate her life to 360deg. She is a renowned author, actress, social activist and Somalian supermodel.

“When I imagine more little girls going through what I went through, it breaks my heart and makes me angry.”, said by Waris Dirie who was a victim of FGM. Due to course of many struggles, dedication, hard work and will-power Dirie is now a Somali supermodel, author, actress and social activist.

Procedure:

There is a belief that for girls are to be clean, hygiene and eligible for the marriage, they are supposed to remove bad things between their legs i.e. the clitoris, the labia minora, and most of the labia majora-are. These are to be removed through blades, knives, scissors, glass, sharpened rocks, finger nails or even razors, with or without anesthesia. Then the wound is stitched shut, leaving only a small opening left similar to a diameter of a matchstick for urine and later, for menstrual blood. Soon after, their legs are tied together for avoiding any movement and kept isolated for a week or more. Only mother and sister is allowed to meet them for giving food.

Consequences:

FGM gives no health benefits but only harm. Millions of girls die from extensive bleeding, infection or tetanus.. More consequences are as follows:-

• Severe bleeding and problems urinating
• Later cysts, infections, infertility as well as complications in childbirth
• Increased risk of newborn deaths
• FGM interferes with the natural functions of girls’ and women’s bodies
• Anxiety state and depression
• Extensive pain

Age Performed:

FGM is mostly carried out on young girls after weeks of their birth to puberty till the age of 15. Most of the cases, it is done before the age 5.
Famous Somalian model experienced in the age of 5 which she disclosed while interviewing with Laura Ziv, a writer for the fashion magazine Marie Claire. After that interview, gust of steps took forward, issue came into limelight and some laws were formulated. Among them was Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 applying on England, Wales and Northern Ireland. However, rate is still increasing due to poor implementation of these acts.

Kenya girl screams in pain while feeling her flesh being cut away by their traditional circumciser.

Causes:

Some factors are responsible for practicing FGM are as follows:-

• It is believed that FGM is for the family honour and responsibility
• Girls will be eligible to marriage only after their cut.
• A strong factor of social pressure and motivation that as others have been doing so long so, you must also do.
• They believe that for girls to remain beautiful and clean, it is mandatory to remove their bad parts between legs which is considered as male and unclean.
• There is nothing mention about any FGM in religious scripts of Bible or Quran. Still continued because of that religion’s focus on female purity.

Active Areas:

This terrific ritual covers in Europe, Middle east, Africa and Yemen. It is predominantly practised in Somalia (98%) followed by Guinea(96%), Djibouti(93%), Egypt(91%) and Mali(89%).
Not only these, shocking part is that it is also widely practiced in India by a Dawoodi Bohra community but I wonder how this serious issue is not in a limelight. This is a serious issue and must get attention.
Well, a heart-touching and sensible letter by the FGM victim of this community informing about the wings of FGM spread in India-http://breakthesilencespeakthetruth.wordpress.com/

Human Rights Violation:

FGM is a violation of the human rights of girls and women. It includes the following violations:-

• Violation of right to health
• Violation of women’s right
• Violation of children’s right

An outraged anger rushes in my blood for this terrible illogical ritual. Why do women or girls always have to bear pain for sake of society? Let a little desert flower bloom happily. Let her be not a victim of these kind of stupid rituals having no sense. Let’s put a full stop on FGM. Let’s prevent these little blossoming flowers from wilting.
“Let you and I ignite our senses and take a pledge right now that we will raise our voices against this ritual.” STOP Female Genital Mutilation! Also, will act as a helping hand via following links.

A mesmerizing life story of FGM victim Waris Dirie who is now a renowned celebrity- http://home.honolulu.hawaii.edu/~pine/Phil110/waris-dirie.html

Donate fund to Warie Dirie Foundation: http://www.desertflowerfoundation.org/en/donate-waris-dirie-foundation/

Be a part of revolution via your fund or action: http://www.forwarduk.org.uk/