A Brutal Cut Creates Lifelong Trauma and Destroys a Girl’s Life
Imagine someone is going to slice off part of your body, how would you react? Are you going to accept it or refuse to get hurt? In the Afar region, Ethiopia in Africa, many girls have to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM) when they are only a few days old. The most common type is the partial or total removal of the clitoral glans that stimulate sexual pleasure or the partial or complete removal of inner and outer labia which protect the genital area. This practice is seen as a blessing and a sign of purity! Globally, it is estimated that over 200 million girls have undergone different forms of FGM. With prevalence in 28 African countries, around 55 million girls under age 15 have experienced or are going to receive the procedure. FGM not only brings never-ending pain and suffering to girls, but it also leaves them traumatized for the rest of their lives.
Due to tradition, FGM is a blessing and a symbol of chastity. Yet, different forms of FGM bring unforgettable and long-lasting harm to girls’ bodies, and soul.
Photo Source: Created by the students from Queen Elizabeth School who joined Plan International Hong Kong’s Youth Conference 2019
In January 2024, I visited Ethiopia where the prevalence of FGM is 65%, and took a closer look at how Plan International tackles FGM so that girls no longer have to live in fear and worry. Because of deep-rooted belief, girls receive FGM once they are seven days old as a sign of purity and a gift of good luck to their marriage; on the contrary, girls will be discriminated against if they never gothrough FGM. To make things worse, circumcisers generally use tools which are not properly sanitised. i.e. knife, glass, sharp stone, or fingernail during the procedures and then sew the organ up with needle and thread. During the whole process, no anesthesia will be carried out and this causes tremendous risks to the babies. Pain, hemorrhage, and infection are common, some even become disabled and die, one can imagine how brutal and bloody it is.
It is shocking that baby girls, only seven days old, have to undergo FGM.
Some girls even die due to an infection after conducting FGM.
Hard to imagine 200 million girls globally have experienced different forms of FGM, leading to long-term and irreversible impacts on their body and mind. Plan International strives to end FGM, protecting girls’ and women’s wellbeing.
Former Circumciser Realised the Scourge of FGM Became a Hero by Putting Down the Blade
During the trip, I met Zehara who once was a circumciser for 25 years and has performed FGM on over 200 babies. Because of the tradition, her occupation brought her a lot of respect and her life was comfortable with money and gifts as rewards. Until the day she witnessed a baby painfully endured 3 to 4 days without urination after the cut and the baby’s belly bloated like a balloon did she realize the horrible consequences of FGM. Together through Plan International’s advocacy works, I am truly grateful to learn that Zehara was willing to put down the knife and became one of the active advocates of ending FGM and changing girls’ future; she works with Plan International in her village and carries out lobbying that changes villagers’ old way of thinking; in return, Plan International provides Zehara with goats as livelihood support. Until now, she has already rescued 750 girls from FGM, becoming the hero of the village.
Former circumciser Zehara witnessed the harm done by FGM to girls, not only did she put down the blade, but now she also advocates for the elimination of FGM, protecting girls’ wellbeing and future.
A Deep Scar on the Body Also a Wound that Never Heals
Not far from Ethiopia in Somalia, without laws criminalizing FGM, as high as 99% of girls aged 15 to 49 experienced different forms of FGM. Cawo, 23 years old, received the most brutal form of FGM with her external genital area completely removed and stitched up when she was 10. Apart from enduring menstruation pain every month, she had to undergo c-section while giving birth. For 40 days, she lay on the bed, suffering both physically and mentally. Cawo once imagined a perfect life ahead, yet after FGM, she is in a lifelong battle with sickness and grief. “I will never allow FGM to be performed on my daughter, no girls should suffer like me!” Even though Cawo is just a young mother, as a victim of FGM, she understands how FGM affects a girl’s life and is determined to persuade other parents to say no to FGM.
“FGM haunts me like a nightmare, I was frightened as I saw the circumciser holding the blade. I cannot imagine I have to deal with pain and illness for the rest of my life.“
Eliminating FGM and Protecting Girls with Your Support
Among the 92 countries where FGM is practiced, 51 of them have laws banning it. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, countries started abandoning FGM with continued advocacy work. However, as the pandemic prevailed in the past few years, the campaigns combating FGM have been suspended; many ex-circumcisers have gone back to performing FGM for income. Therefore, an additional 2 million girls and women are at risk of FGM. Plan International has been actively educating girls, parents and communities about the consequences of FGM; motivating mothers, fathers and youths to form various committees, i.e. Mothers Group, and facilitating them to gather regularly to discuss ways to eliminate FGM, child marriage and sexual violence; at the same time, we have been partnering with local government departments, clinics in advocating for a complete stop of FGM; setting up One Stop Center to provide medical support and psychological counselling to the victims. Our ongoing efforts have paid off, in Zehara’s village with nearly 500 households, there has not been one new case of FGM for three and a half years. In the future, more villages will be expected to join in the efforts to eradicate FGM from the root.
Since there is no strict execution of laws and due to the deep-rooted tradition, globally, FGM is performed on a girl every 8 seconds. We sincerely hope that you can support Girls Fund Monthly Programme so that your long-term donation could be used to implement more projects to stop FGM, rescuing even more girls from the blade and gifting them with self-autonomy.
HK$4/DAILY SAVE GIRLS FROM FGM
Through Plan International and Zehara’s efforts, there is no new FGM case in Zehara’s village for three and a half years. In the future, they will work with other villages to bring greater changes.
