More Than Half of Women in Arab States Have Undergone FGM, Originally A Pharaoh Practice
By
Gaia Caramazza
10 July,
2020
"Nobody
wants to discuss women's bodies, even though the whole world comes out of
them," says Hibo Wardere, a campaigner and educator against female genital
mutilation (FGM).
Nearly 55 percent of women in Arab states have undergone FGM. [Getty]
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Hibo was
only six years old when she became a survivor of type 3 FGM, which entails
narrowing the vaginal opening by creating a seal, formed by cutting and
repositioning the labia.
More than
4.1 million girls and women are at risk of undergoing the cultural practice of
female genital mutilation in 2020 alone, according to the UNFPA's 2020 State of
the World Population report published last month.
"My
world was turned upside down. It was like a nightmare you can never ever
forget," Hibo recalls. "People that you trusted the most were the
ones pinning you down to the operating table."
In Somalia,
Hibo's country of origin, 97 percent of women aged between 15 and 19 underwent
FGM between 2004 and 2018, according to the same report.
The
procedures are carried out in communities which see it as an assurance of
premarital virginity, piety and virtue.
The UNFPA
data outlined that 55 percent of women in Arab states underwent the procedure,
which is often carried out in inadequate ad-hoc facilities, and can result in
life-threatening complications such as haemorrhage, infection, and trauma.
Arab states
have the highest figures in the region due mostly to the steep numbers of
procedures taking place in Somalia, Sudan, and Djibouti.
"FGM
is originally a Pharoah practice which was used in the Nile Valley and has been
practiced for over 3,000 years," said Dr. Luay Shabaneh, the UNFPA
Regional Director for Arab States Region.
"Even
in countries where it is illegal, it is such an embedded cultural norm that it
is believed women cannot even get married if they do not undergo these
procedures."
The
New Arab
@The_NewArab
Sudan
is thought to have one of the highest rates of FGM in the world
For
Sudan's women, the fight against FGM has only just begun
Sudan's
decision to outlaw female genital mutilation is a small step...
english.alaraby.co.uk
10:00
PM · May 13, 2020
------
Sudan and
Djibouti follow Somalia in having the highest rates of FGM, with more than
eight out of 10 women undergoing some form of the procedure. Egypt follows with
70 percent, while Yemen stands at 16 percent and less than 5 percent of Iraqi
women are subject to FGM.
A recent
shocking case from Egypt made headlines in early June after three minors were
tricked into the procedure after being told they would be receiving a
vaccination against the coronavirus.
A man took
his three daughters, aged 8, 9 and 11, to the doctor after telling them they
would be vaccinated against Covid-19, said Reda el-Danbouki, executive director
of the Women's Centre for Guidance and Legal Awareness in Cairo. Instead, the
girls awoke from anaesthesia to find that their genitals had been removed.
However,
recent developments have turned Sudan into a symbol of hope for women in the
region after the country criminalised the practice in April of this year,
ruling that anyone carrying out the act - whether inside medical establishments
or elsewhere - will face three years in jail and a fine.
But rights
groups have warned that Sudan's criminalisation of FGM is "only the tip of
the iceberg" in confronting a "deeply misogynistic" legal
system.
"Whereas
the criminalisation of FGM in Sudan might seem well-intended, it actually does
not address the root causes of women's subordination in Sudan which are deeply
ingrained in misogynistic attitudes," the Strategic Initiative for Women
in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) said, arguing for further reforms to ensure equal
rights for women.
Dr.
Shabaneh explains that this is the reality in many Arab states, where the
management of war and humanitarian disasters takes precedence over anything
else, including gender equality.
He says the
UNFPA's strategy is to understand that women hold the power to change the norms
of their societies. "Families can be hubs for rights, so our role is to
inform the women at the centre of these communities with the right
information."
Hibo agrees
that education must be the way forward. "I think our community does not
need finger pointing and accusations, what they need is education," she
says.
The New Arab
@The_NewArab
Somalia sees huge increase in cases of female genital mutilation (FGM)
as many stay at home under measures imposed to limit the spread of the
coronavirus
Somalia sees 'massive' increase in FGM amid coronavirus lockdown
As many stay at home to stay safe from coronavirus, girls are now at...
english.alaraby.co.uk
12:15 AM · May 20, 2020
------
"We
have to remember it's a tradition of 3,000 years so it's not easy to change
that - information is power and people want access to education. Young people,
men, politicians, they all need education."
The UNFPA
report data revealed that in Somalia only one third of women think the practice
should stop, whilst in Egypt only 28 percent of men who have heard of FGM think
the same, showing a lack of knowledge from many members of the communities that
are undertaking the procedures.
"I
couldn't talk to my parents, my teachers, or my family because to this day, it
still is a taboo subject," Hibo said.
"People
are muted on this subject, they don't talk about women's bodies. Men think it's
a women's issue, but they are married to women who have undergone FGM - they
just don't want to confront this. If men were talking about it, it would stop,
because they have power."
Hibo, who
teaches groups ranging from school children to politicians on the consequences
of FGM, says there is not a lot of support given to young girls in the Somali
community, especially since the subject is not spoken about openly.
She
believes that kickstarting local campaigns to explain the ramifications of FGM
is the way forward, rather than blaming communities for a practice which is
embedded in culture and history.
The
breakout of the novel coronavirus also risks an increase in FGM practices for
some two million women, with the economic downturn forcing many families to try
and secure marriages and dowries, according the UNFPA.
The report
warns that austerity measures as a result of the pandemic are also likely to
affect the agenda for promoting women's reproductive rights, with Hibo saying
it is vital that politicians defend these state-provided services.
"The
two main things to focus on are educating the public and upholding the
law," she said. "Politicians and religious leaders need to speak out,
as they are the ones with the power to start the conversation."
Dr.
Shabaneh calls on the strength of women to battle against these injustices in
the long road ahead. "I call this the silent suffering because the nature
of women is to sacrifice," he said.
"I've
seen villages in Arab states where there are no men, and women shoulder all the
housework, all the economic burden, and provide support to everyone in their
community. They don't take care of themselves. Some women forget in these
crises that they are people with desires and needs."
Original
Headline: More Than Half Of Women In Arab States Are Subject To FGM
Source: The English Al-Araby, UK
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/more-than-half-women-arab/d/122452
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