Female genital mutilation is a cruel ritual, which is traditionally still practiced today, especially in Africa, but also in the Middle East and Asia. Worldwide, 100-150 million girls and women are affected, with about 2 million more each year, or more than 5,000 per day. As more women from such cultures migrate to the Western world, these practices are increasingly coming into the public eye here. It is believed that there are already about 25,000 affected women and 6,000 girls at risk in Germany at present. In order to protect them from such a fate in the future, it is extremely important to educate affected women and girls, the public and especially certain professional groups such as social workers, psychologists, doctors, midwives, nurses and lawyers as objectively as possible. Only if they are aware of the issue and are adequately trained on it will it be possible to provide affected and endangered women with adequate social and medical care. This includes not only knowledge of the various practices and their consequences, but also knowledge of the sociocultural background and particularities. This is a complex issue that can only be managed with a lot of commitment, attention and empathy as well as tolerance.
Cruel rituals
Female circumcision is seen as a transition from childhood to adulthood in many of the cultures that practice it. The average age of girls is 4 to 8 years. The procedures are performed without anesthesia usually by special circumcisers or traditional midwives using instruments such as knives, razor blades, and broken glass in usually horrendous sanitary conditions. The temporal and local origins of the ritual are not precisely known. Traditional religious teachings associate circumcision with ideals of beauty, cleanliness and morality, in addition to sociopolitical considerations. Circumcision is supposed to curb the sexual drive of women in order to prevent infidelity before and during marriage. Ultimately, this defines the social status and role of women: under the control of the man and only worth something if she undergoes the Vorhsenenen rituals.
- Sunna: the foreskin of the clitoris is removed; rarest form.
- Clitoridectomy: The clitoris and labia minora are partially or completely removed. Sometimes skin and tissue from the vagina will also be scraped out (introcision).
- Infibulation (“pharaonic circumcision”): the clitoris is removed completely, the labia minora completely or partially. The labia majora are scraped off and then sewn or stapled together with thorns. For urination and menstruation, this leaves only a small hole, often no larger than a grain of rice.
- Variants of the various practices.
The physical and psychological consequences for the girls are serious. Quite a few die immediately after the procedure from bleeding, infection and shock. In the longer term, mortality is also increased. Severe discomfort during menstruation and urination, constant pain, and recurrent inflammation are common consequences, often lifelong. Infertility is also not uncommon; women usually experience pain during sexual intercourse and suffer from reduced or absent orgasm. Another problem is childbearing – for many pregnant women and their children, childbirth ends fatally. During infibulation, the tissue often has to be cut open again because the exit is too small for the child’s head – after birth, however, the genital is closed again! The women also suffer psychologically – often silently due to the strong taboo of the subject. So it can come to sleep, eating and concentration disorders as well as depression up to suicide.
Countermovements
In the countries of origin, but also increasingly in Europe, Canada and the USA, the fight against the ritual is predominantly carried out by the educational work of native women or immigrants. In many places, these have formed groups and try to persuade people to replace tradition with reason. They are often supported with money, cars and other resources by international human rights groups such as Terre des Femmes, UNICEF, UNO, Amnesty International and INTACT. In Western industrialized countries, FGM is considered a human rights violation and is prosecuted as aggravated assault.It is also banned in Germany – even the attempt is considered a crime. However, until the ultimate goal of UNICEF and UNFPA – the eradication of these practices within three generations – is achieved, many efforts must still be made internationally and tireless educational work must be carried out.