Female Circumcision, or Female Genital Mutilation pt. 1

WARNING: Alright, so I've written about the Red Crescent in Somalia, now I'm going to talk about a horrible health situation they have been invaluable in helping with: female circumcision. This is not a nice topic and frankly, I've been avoiding it for a few weeks. Every time I sit at the computer and start to type I feel sick inside. I've actually had to stop writing and do something else a couple of times. This blog should not be read by the weak of heart, or stomach, and for sure not by anyone below the age of 15 or so. This blog is divided into two parts, this one will cover the medical aspects of Female Circumcision or Female Genital Mutialtion, and the next blog will feature the story of a Somali supermodel, Waris Dirie.

The following is a medical overview of the practice of female circumcision, written by Kouba, Leonard J., and Judith Muasher. "Female Circumcision in Africa: An Overview" African Studies Review, Vol. 28, No. 1 (Mar., 1985), pp. 95-110 (and illegally copied here). The five main categories of Female Circumcision are also called "Female Genital Mutilation", for obvious reasons.

1 "Mild Sunna" :The pricking of the prepuce of the clitoris with a sharp instrument, such as a pin, which leaves little or no damage. "Sunna" means "tradition" in Arabic.
2 "Modified Sunna" :The partial or total exicision of the body of the clitoris.
3 "Clitoridectomy/Excision" :The removal of part or all of the clitoris as well as part or all of the labia minora. The resulting scar tissues may be so extensive that they cover the vaginal opening.
4 "Infibulation/Pharonic Circumcision" :Consists of clitoridectomy and the excision of the labia minora as well as the inner walls of the labia majora. The raw edges of the vulva are then sewn together with catgut or held against each other by means of thorns. The suturing together, or approxomating of the raw edges of the labia majora, is done so that the opposite sides will heal together and form a wall over the vaginal opening. A small sliver of wood (such as bamboo) is inserted into the vagina to stop coalescence of urine an menstral flow.
5 "Introcision" :The enlargement of the vaginal orifice by tearing it downwards manually or with a sharp instrument.

Of the above types of circumcision, "Clitoridectomy/Excision" and "Infibulation/Pharonic Circumcision" are the most common in Africa, the latter being the most common in Somalia. In fact, according to this article, virtually all Somali women are infibulated, which includes those Somali women who migrage to other countries. In Somalia operations are done on girls between the ages of five and eight, and may be done on individuals or groups of girls, either related or neighbours. Those girls who undergoe either excision or infibulation will never be able to enjoy the physical pleasure of sex.
The traditional practitionners are normally the village midwives who earn their livings preforming these operations. They also enjoy a position of status in the villages. Often their knowledge of anatomy and hygiene is limited and the operations are usually performed with unsterilized knives, razor blades, scissors, and to a lesser extent, sharp stones or pieces of broken glass. It is typically preformed without any anaesthesia, and under septic conditions.

I can't imagine the pain, physical or emotional that would accompany such an experience. If you wish to know more about this subject, please go here or here, or you wish to support those who are trying to globaly put a stop to FGM, please go here, here, or here.

poverty seeking peace

Poverty is a difficult subject, made more difficult in war-ravaged countries like Somalia because of it’s lack of a functioning government. The entire country is poor, with a growing number of Internally Displaced People (IDP) each day. These people are the many who have migrated, or been driven from their homes to a new town or city as a consequence of war. These people have lost everything. They have no homes, land, food, resources or community support systems. They are the ones most susceptible to disease and other health problems. These people have become indistinguishable from the rest of the poor in Somalia, and normally are the responsibility of the national government. Somalia, however, is a failed state. With such a lack of regulation and support, who speaks for the human rights of these people?

Although there are many humanitarian relief programs and NGOs operating in Somalia, these are a bandage to a critical, haemorrhaging wound. I'm not sure yet what is really needed; I’ll have to research more, but what I do know is that from everything I’ve read, there is always one thing the people of Somalia seem to want more than anything else, and that’s peace. Surely there is more we can do…

Photo credit here.

overview in the past year or so

This is an article I like from the Red Cross website. It can be found in full here.

Recent Somalia

For 16 years, Somalia has been ravaged by conflict, drought and floods. Lawlessness reigns in the centre and south of this country of 9 million people, while Puntland and Somaliland, in the north of Somalia, have managed to steer clear of the conflict. Today, Somalia is at a significant crossroads. In December, the Supreme Islamic Courts Council, which six months earlier had seized control of the capital and the south of the country, was ousted and its leaders forced to flee. After a lightning war, the transitional federal government — backed by the Ethiopian army — was installed in Mogadishu, while the US carried out air strikes on positions suspected of harbouring Islamic militants linked to al-Qaeda. Since then, fighting in Mogadishu has resumed and intensified between the transitional government and various insurgent groups and warlords. Meanwhile, the first peace-keeping troops dispatched by the African Union were striving to establish positions in the volatile capital. Most of the civilians who are able to leave were trying to flee Mogadishu. In mid April, more than 100,000 inhabitants had managed to find refuge outside the city. The ICRC is focusing its efforts on the care of the hundreds of the wounded — mostly civilians — who are being treated in Madina, Keysaney and other hospitals. Other casualties remain stranded with no access to medical treatment. Outside the capital, the ICRC, in collaboration with the Somali Red Crescent Society, is assisting people affected by the conflict and is supporting victims of the drought and recent floods. The ICRC is also trying to gain access to people arrested or detained in relation to the conflict. There are currently more than 600,000 Somalis displaced by years of conflict and by reoccurring natural disasters such as the severe flooding that struck the south of the country in November. Emergency assistance takes the form of shelter, drinking water, food and health care, as well as the restoration of links between dispersed family members. As a complement to its ongoing emergency activities, the ICRC is engaged in some 300 health programmes and agricultural projects, notably the distribution of seeds to help victims recover their self-sufficiency. In spite of this dire situation, it is vital that the ICRC maintains the trust of all the parties and preserves its neutral and independent humanitarian action. It does so by relying on its extensive local knowledge of the complex Somali context and working closely with the different clans and in tandem with its highly effective partner, the Somali Red Crescent Society, the only national entity still functioning in this devastated country.

Jean-François Berger
ICRC editor Red Cross Red Crescent