Ending FGM: progress, challenges, and how you can help.
Valerie Browning is the co-founder and Programme Director of the Afar Pastoralist Development Association (APDA).
Why is FGM performed on infants and young girls?
FGM is an ancient cultural practice stemming back to Pharaonic times in Egypt. It is pre-Islamic and is done to ‘protect’ the female from anyone touching her, other than her husband. As years passed, the Afar began to believe – untruly – that this was needed under Islam to purify the girl from perversity.
Why does this practice continue given the pain it causes?
Afar society is almost utterly illiterate … Therefore, they totally depend on traditional thinking and simply accept it is right despite the pain and problems. Also, because the deep belief is that it is shameful not to have FGM, the practice continues regardless of the pain.
What progress have you seen since APDA began?
20 years ago, Afar was universally more severe in the form of cutting they practised … Now there are pockets where all cutting has stopped.
The Afar are now aware this is an issue for debate, rather than accepting and unquestioning the practice. Through training (which you support through Ethiopiaid), Traditional Birth Attendants are now aware that FGM and other harmful practices they believed in are dangerous.
What is a huge result is that clan leaders and religious leaders are now coming to the point of seeing any form of cutting as wrong … They are now in the process of adding FGM as a crime to their traditional law so it can be punished and stopped.
What can we do to help end FGM?
If the girl is from a remote, rural area where illiteracy is high and outside information is low, she will almost inevitably experience one form or another of FGM.
Supporting education is extremely important as well as continuing to train, equip and send out Women Extension Workers. They are essential since they are the pillar of contact and service for women and girls in the community.
To find out how you can support this work today, click below.
