By Joshua Masinde
Way back in 1999, during the December holidays after I had just completed my primary leaving examination, I had the privilege of attending an initiation rite of the Sabaot of Mt. Elgon region in Western Kenya. My uncle, with whose family I was staying, took me there. It was late in the night. The ghostly darkness, dancing odiously in the chilling breeze gave the night the smell of blood, incivility and abhorrence.
I had undergone my own rite of passage a year before. Practically, though not a fan of circumcision rituals, this one I was taken to attend was quite out of the ordinary.
Having expected to see brave young men, enduring the chilly night, dancing, drumming and jingling their instruments so used in circumcision rites, a surprise lay in waiting. Drama, dancing, and hullaballoo enshrined the occasion with vigour. The unexpected sight of a file of young, energetic and frail ladies, dancing vigorously, first in circles, then in one straight file away from the crowd, was to me a spectacular scene of witches dancing away their evil machinations past midnight, downloaded straight from a Nollywood script.
But, the most private details of the genitalia cut, was for us not to behold. But, my mind conceived all possible graphic details of the act itself, as I kept wondering that alas, and indeed, my unfortunate sisters had at last, mutated into adulthood, through a very excruciating exercise that was to change their lives FOR-EVER. The cut itself, blood trickling....
The lurid gory details clearly defined the blast from the past, with a sense of pity and remorse for the victims.
But, a recent parliamentary report on Female Genital Mutilation in Kapchorwa and Nakapiripit districts in eastern Uganda signalled a timely intervention, which could offer respite to the girls and women who would have undergone the crude cultural rite. This report led to the passing by the Ugandan legislature, on December 10, of a new law outlawing and criminalising FGM. The law grants a maximum 10 year-punishment for the perpetrators of the crude act, and life imprisonment for those who carry out aggravated FGM. This is a new lease of life in the female posterity who could have been subjected to the cut, much like their predecessors. Aggravated FGM is a case where the victim passes on after the cut, or is infected with HIV/AIDS or becomes disabled.
Prior to enacting the law, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, Kinkizi east MP in Uganda moved a motion in Parliament on April 29, to prohibit female genital mutilation (FGM). Dr. Baryomunsi later introduced a private bill countering FGM in Uganda parliament in September for debate and was unanimously enacted into law on December 10.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines female genital mutilation (FGM) as "the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs whether for cultural or other non-therapeutic reasons.
FGM is practiced the world over, and Amnesty International estimates over 130 million women worldwide have been victimised. It is estimated that 92 million of Africa’s women have been victims with over 3 million cases carried out annually on the African continent. In Uganda, the Sabiny of Kapchorwa, Bukwo, Bugiri and Nakapiripirit districts in the eastern frontier have indigenous tribes that highly practice FGM, according to the parliamentary report. The rite is performed bi-annually each year.
There are about four ways in which FGM is executed: “Sunna" circumcision is the removal of the prepuce and/or the tip of the clitoris; Clitoridectomy, or excision, which is the removal of the entire clitoris and adjacent labia; Infibulation (pharaonic circumcision), removal of the clitoris and entire labia and then joining the scraped sides of the vulva across the vagina using thorns or catgut, leaving only a small opening for passage of urine and menstrual blood.
FGM is generally performed in unsanitary conditions with unclean sharp instruments, such as pieces of glass, stones, knives, or razor blades. A single instrument is often used on many girls and/or women without cleaning, leading to the transmission of various viruses, such as HIV/AIDS.
While there are no benefits associated with FGM, the procedure is characterised with health complications like cruelty of the procedure, urine retention which is painful, short term haemorrhage, which can lead to death. It can also engender infertility, vulva abscess, clitoral cysts, labia adherences, difficulties in menstruation, fistula, disability and increased risks of HIV/AIDS infections.
In the parliamentary report, Mr Peter Kamuron, a human rights activist, opines that; “Once a girl is cut, she is cut off from enjoying her reproductive health and rights and continuing with education, and from any hope for employment and or future economic survival.”
But, an initiative like the Reproductive Educative and Community Health (REACH) began in 1996 in Kapchorwa, which has been on the forefront in helping to mitigate FGM. Using education as its primary tool in eliminating FGM, REACH formed the Sabiny Elders Association to reach the people. Ultimately, the communities made their own the decisions to stop. The Kapchorwa district saw a tremendous 36 per cent decrease in FGM between 1994 and 1996.
I had undergone my own rite of passage a year before. Practically, though not a fan of circumcision rituals, this one I was taken to attend was quite out of the ordinary.
Having expected to see brave young men, enduring the chilly night, dancing, drumming and jingling their instruments so used in circumcision rites, a surprise lay in waiting. Drama, dancing, and hullaballoo enshrined the occasion with vigour. The unexpected sight of a file of young, energetic and frail ladies, dancing vigorously, first in circles, then in one straight file away from the crowd, was to me a spectacular scene of witches dancing away their evil machinations past midnight, downloaded straight from a Nollywood script.
But, the most private details of the genitalia cut, was for us not to behold. But, my mind conceived all possible graphic details of the act itself, as I kept wondering that alas, and indeed, my unfortunate sisters had at last, mutated into adulthood, through a very excruciating exercise that was to change their lives FOR-EVER. The cut itself, blood trickling....
The lurid gory details clearly defined the blast from the past, with a sense of pity and remorse for the victims.
But, a recent parliamentary report on Female Genital Mutilation in Kapchorwa and Nakapiripit districts in eastern Uganda signalled a timely intervention, which could offer respite to the girls and women who would have undergone the crude cultural rite. This report led to the passing by the Ugandan legislature, on December 10, of a new law outlawing and criminalising FGM. The law grants a maximum 10 year-punishment for the perpetrators of the crude act, and life imprisonment for those who carry out aggravated FGM. This is a new lease of life in the female posterity who could have been subjected to the cut, much like their predecessors. Aggravated FGM is a case where the victim passes on after the cut, or is infected with HIV/AIDS or becomes disabled.
Prior to enacting the law, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, Kinkizi east MP in Uganda moved a motion in Parliament on April 29, to prohibit female genital mutilation (FGM). Dr. Baryomunsi later introduced a private bill countering FGM in Uganda parliament in September for debate and was unanimously enacted into law on December 10.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines female genital mutilation (FGM) as "the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs whether for cultural or other non-therapeutic reasons.
FGM is practiced the world over, and Amnesty International estimates over 130 million women worldwide have been victimised. It is estimated that 92 million of Africa’s women have been victims with over 3 million cases carried out annually on the African continent. In Uganda, the Sabiny of Kapchorwa, Bukwo, Bugiri and Nakapiripirit districts in the eastern frontier have indigenous tribes that highly practice FGM, according to the parliamentary report. The rite is performed bi-annually each year.
There are about four ways in which FGM is executed: “Sunna" circumcision is the removal of the prepuce and/or the tip of the clitoris; Clitoridectomy, or excision, which is the removal of the entire clitoris and adjacent labia; Infibulation (pharaonic circumcision), removal of the clitoris and entire labia and then joining the scraped sides of the vulva across the vagina using thorns or catgut, leaving only a small opening for passage of urine and menstrual blood.
FGM is generally performed in unsanitary conditions with unclean sharp instruments, such as pieces of glass, stones, knives, or razor blades. A single instrument is often used on many girls and/or women without cleaning, leading to the transmission of various viruses, such as HIV/AIDS.
While there are no benefits associated with FGM, the procedure is characterised with health complications like cruelty of the procedure, urine retention which is painful, short term haemorrhage, which can lead to death. It can also engender infertility, vulva abscess, clitoral cysts, labia adherences, difficulties in menstruation, fistula, disability and increased risks of HIV/AIDS infections.
In the parliamentary report, Mr Peter Kamuron, a human rights activist, opines that; “Once a girl is cut, she is cut off from enjoying her reproductive health and rights and continuing with education, and from any hope for employment and or future economic survival.”
But, an initiative like the Reproductive Educative and Community Health (REACH) began in 1996 in Kapchorwa, which has been on the forefront in helping to mitigate FGM. Using education as its primary tool in eliminating FGM, REACH formed the Sabiny Elders Association to reach the people. Ultimately, the communities made their own the decisions to stop. The Kapchorwa district saw a tremendous 36 per cent decrease in FGM between 1994 and 1996.
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