FGM:
“A violation of the bodily integrity of women”

Ms. Aminata Toure

Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) refers to the excision or tissue removal of any part of the female genitalia for cultural, religious or other non-medical reasons. It is more frequently referred to as female genital mutilation (FGM), or female circumcision (FC). The expression ‘Female Genital Mutilation’ gained growing support in the late 1970s. The word mutilation not only established clear linguistic distinction from male circumcision, but it also emphasized the gravity of the act. In 1990, this term was adopted at the third conference of the Inter African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (IAC), in Addis Ababa. In 1991, the World Health Organization recommended that the United Nations adopt this terminology and subsequently, it has been widely used in UN documents. Even after passing many years in struggle to eliminate FGM, it is believed that it still exists in many countries.
Capital discussed the issue with Ms. Aminata Toure, Officer In Charge of Gender, Culture and Human Rights Branch, at UNFPA HQ, while she was in Addis Ababa for a three day conference.

Capital: What are the sociological factors regarding FGM/C?
Ms. Aminata Toure: That’s an excellent question because we ourselves are asking the very same one. There is a great debate going on and for example, when you go to Egypt, they call it Sudanese circumcision and when you go to Sudan, they call it Pharaoh’s circumcision so it is very difficult to trace the origin of the practice. What is certain is that it goes back many centuries and is deeply rooted in cultures. To explain the motivation of such a practice, we believe it’s about controlling sexuality and the bodies of women. In many cultures the belief is that if you don’t circumcise a girl she will become a loose woman. So to keep women ‘quiet’ many cultures believe that they need to be circumcised; which is, as has been agreed here, a violation of the bodily integrity of women and of their rights as human beings.

Capital: What are the medical consequences?
Ms. Aminata Toure: There are many negative consequences of the practice. A WHO study launched last year shows clear evidence of the relation between FGM and the risk for pregnant women to have a C- section, for instance. Research shows that children born to circumcised mothers would suffer at birth because, of course, labor is much longer and the baby tires and dies. There is no doubt now about the health consequences and this is a plus. Beyond medical implications is the violation of the right of women as there is no reason why women should go through such pain. We gathered here many religious leaders and they all agree that there is no scripture either in the Koran or in the Bible that condones FGM/C as a practice. Many populations, particularly the uneducated, believe that FGM is prescribed by religion. Scholars we have discussed the issue with stated that there are no such grounds.

Capital: In what countries is FGM/C still prevalent?
Ms. Aminata Toure: In Africa, there are twenty eight nations. Of the Arab world, Egypt has the highest rates of FGM.

Capital: There are reports that show immigrant mothers in Europe taking their children to medical centers to perform FGM/C…
Ms. Aminata Toure: Actually, that’s not happening in Europe and is rather a very much African phenomenon. For many years, when we sensitize people, we have told them that FGM was bad for reasons of health so their reaction was to go and do it in health centers. What needs to be said is this: it is a violation of the Hippocratic Oath. When you graduate as a doctor you take an oath to save life not to threaten life by your profession. There are laws in many countries that clearly forbid the practice of FGM in a health setting or by health service providers. We don’t want to point fingers at the health sector because it is not officially done. We have to work with governments so that they take very clear measures in order that the health sector is not involved in putting the health of women at risk.

Capital: There was a case of FGM reported in the US involving an Ethiopian. Are there many cases reported in the US or in other developed countries?
Ms. Aminata Toure: Yes, there are many cases in Europe. For instance, we know that in Norway they are about to enact a law because there was a study that showed more than one hundred Norwegian children have been taken by their parents to their country of origin for FGM. It is a big scandal in Norway and the country is taking steps to outlaw the practice. France enacted a law in the 90’s to completely ban the practice and some ‘traditional surgeons’ even went to jail. So in western countries it is very clear that this can not and should not happen. By the way, I must say in Africa, many of our countries are already close to banning FGM but the problem is on how to implement the law. If you have countries with more than 90% of the population practicing it, you can not put everybody in jail, it does not make sense. But the law has to be there to protect girls and women and we have also to combine sensitization through religious leaders, talking to young people and working with the media, as we are doing now, to help spread the message.

Capital: Is there any positive side to FGM?
Ms. Aminata Toure: We don’t see any positive side in removing an organ that was put there by God in the first place. We believe God is perfect so why should we change the work of God!?

Capital: Studies indicate circumcised men resist HIV infection better …
Ms. Aminata Toure: That is not the same thing. That problem is because the equivalent of FGM for men would be to cut off the whole penis. I think many countries now agree that we have to preserve the body of women and have signed the convention for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and they have to respect that commitment.

Capital: Are there links between FGM and how women behave?
Ms. Aminata Toure: No, we don’t believe that there is a link between FGM and the way women would behave. There was a study done in one country showing that eighty percent of sex workers in that country are circumcised but they ended up being sex workers. So there is no link between the way women would behave in a moral way and FGM. I think it’s a practice we have inherited from an old era. Women are claiming their rights and this practice has to stop, particularly when it generates harm and impacts on the health of women. We have plenty of health problems as it is.