FGM: A Tool Of Oppression Or A “Harmless” Cultural Practice?
Written by Oluwabukunmi Fadeyi
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) or female circumcision is the partial or complete removal of the external genitalia of the female child for non-medical reasons. It is prevalent in parts of Africa, Asia, North America and Europe. Unlicensed traditional medical practitioners who are mostly women use crude and unsterilized instruments to carry out this process on girls between the ages of 0 and 15. Grandparents, parents, and “concerned” family members help these unlicensed FGM practitioners by taking these girls to them.
There are three (3) major types of FGM namely;
- Clitoridectomy: The partial removal of the clitoris.
- Sunna or Excision: The removal of the full clitoris and part of the labia minora.
- Infibulation: This is probably the worst thing I have ever seen or heard of in my whole life. Not only do they remove the clitoris, labia minora and labia majora, they also stitch the vaginal opening and only leave a tiny hole for urination and menstruation. This stitch is removed on the wedding night so that the groom can have penetrative sex with his bride for the first time.
The societies that practice FGM say it is the rite of passage into womanhood and look on it as a significant part of their culture, tradition and religion. According to this article, as of 2012, 27% of Nigerian women between the ages of 15 and 49 had undergone FGM. I believe that the percentage is higher than that as it is well known that Nigeria has a data issue. Also, the act of FGM is usually done quietly and the girls and women who are victims of this act may not readily come forward out of shame or fear of stigma.
In May 2015, the former President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, signed a law called the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act banning FGM and other forms of gender-based violence. When he passed the law in 2015, activists against FGM were thrilled because they thought that would herald an end to the practice but sadly, it did not.
Before the VAPP act, Osun state had passed a law against the practice but in a 2017 article on FGM by the Institute of Current World Affairs, the state had the highest occurrence of this practice. Remember that I said unlicensed traditional medical practitioners, with the aid of family members, carry out the practice in secret under the guise of culture, tradition and religious beliefs. So who’s going to stop them? I don’t think the law has that much reach.
In 2019, UNICEF said that the exact number of girls whose genitals have been mutilated is still unknown, but 200 million girls and women aged 15 to 49 from 31 countries have undergone this practice. It is noteworthy that some of these countries have banned FGM but here we are.
For this article, I spoke to two women in their 40s who have undergone FGM, and it was a touching experience. While one underwent Clitoridectomy, the other underwent Sunna/Excision. I couldn’t find anyone who underwent Infibulation. They are both married with children and both said childbirth was an excruciating process for them. I have heard and read about how painful childbirth can be, but these women assured me theirs was much worse than usual. From the doctors drawing a straight line from the mutilation their genitals went through to the excruciating pain they experienced.
They also both told me that they do not enjoy sexual activities. One of them said she and her husband could go months without sex, and she only endures the process whenever it’s time for them to make a baby. Imagine going through life like that.
I searched the internet in search of the benefits of FGM since some people refer to it as a “harmless” cultural practice. I could not find one except that it provides a means of livelihood for those who do the cutting. However, I did find a lot of physical and psychological consequences it can have on girls and women who undergo it.
The two women I spoke to already mentioned the lack of pleasure from sexual activities and childbirth, but there’s more. There can be medical complications after the process such as prolonged bleeding which can cause death. Because the instruments they use are crude and mostly unsterilized, there is a risk of infection that can lead to death and an increased risk of HIV transmission. There is also the risk of infertility, complications during childbirth and the psychological feelings of anxiety and depression.
This practice is rooted in purity culture. Pro-FGM people say that it prevents promiscuity in women and encourages them to marry as virgins. They also say that it helps men enjoy sex more and prevents women from being unfaithful to their husbands.
I mean what’s a “little discomfort” to a woman for the rest of her life, as long as she marries as a virgin, stays faithful to her husband, and he enjoys the sex more, all thanks to her “super tight vagina”?
I’m going to let you be the judge on this topic. After reading this piece, do you think FGM is a tool for oppressing women or is it just a “harmless” cultural practice?
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Edited by Chizulu E. Uwolloh
Zulu, named after Zulu Shofola, is a writer, avid movie watcher, and self-proclaimed bibliophile. She is proud to call herself a feminist and when she’s not editing for Sisterly HQ and watching travel vlogs on YouTube, she’s trying to save the world in her own little way. Connect with Zulu on Instagram and LinkedIn
Published by Yetunde Onafuye
Yetunde is a storyteller, podcaster, and a graduate student with interest in the social and political history of post-independence Africa. She’s also the co-lead editor at Sisterly HQ. In her free time, she reads and reviews books, engages in social volunteering, and watches tons of dramas, vlogs, and TV shows. Connect with Yetunde on LinkedIn and Instagram.
