Friday 15 March 2013
Tunisia's Islamist party opposes female circumcision
The head of Tunisia’s ruling Islamist party Ennahda insisted Friday that his group was opposed to female circumcision, after one of its MPs caused a storm by reportedly saying the operation was “aesthetic.”
“We do not approve of female circumcision, a practice supported neither by Ennahda nor by religion, and which is not a part of our culture,” Rached Ghannouchi told a news conference in Tunis.
“Whoever approves of female circumcision cannot remain within our ranks,” he added.
Source
Tuesday 24 August 2010
Why Circumcise Women? - Reason 1: Maintenance of Cleanliness
Supporters of the practice have explained that the removal of the genital organs promotes cleanliness in that area. In communities where custom and or religion require women to cleanse their genitals with soap and water after urination, it is thought that the hand used to wash the area may become contaminated and this contamination transferred to food, water and clothing.
Sunday 6 September 2009
FGM Links for 07.09.09
Pregnant Schoolgirls drop out of class: A Kenyan girl left to study on her own after all her friends dropped out of school due to pregnancy.
More than 130 million women have been circumcised so far: " An estimated 130 million women have undergone female circumcision. The procedure is typically performed in unsanitary conditions and often results in infections and fistula, an open wound that can develop in victims of FGM between the vagina and the anus after a failed childbirth."
More than 130 million women have been circumcised so far: " An estimated 130 million women have undergone female circumcision. The procedure is typically performed in unsanitary conditions and often results in infections and fistula, an open wound that can develop in victims of FGM between the vagina and the anus after a failed childbirth."
Monday 10 August 2009
Baby Girls under the Knife
It is still dark this Tuesday morning. About seven women bring their baby girls for circumcision at one of the most popular compounds on Kobomoje Street, Beere, a suburb of Ibadan, Oyo State. While the circumciser's sons are in front of the house ushering more women in, the circumciser, sitting amidst bottles of herbs, bowls of water, cotton wool, lime, knives and razor blades, is getting ready for the operation.
One-month old Temilade is the first. She cries till she runs out of tears; with what little energy she has, she wriggles her tiny legs and hands against the pressure of her mother's hand. Anyone hearing Temilade's cry might wonder about the texture of her mother's love. Ironically, the mother cannot bear the pain, looking away as the circumciser cuts part of Temilade's clitoris with a razor blade. Blood gushes out. Source
One-month old Temilade is the first. She cries till she runs out of tears; with what little energy she has, she wriggles her tiny legs and hands against the pressure of her mother's hand. Anyone hearing Temilade's cry might wonder about the texture of her mother's love. Ironically, the mother cannot bear the pain, looking away as the circumciser cuts part of Temilade's clitoris with a razor blade. Blood gushes out. Source
Wednesday 5 August 2009
FGM and School Drop-Out Rates
Female Genital Mutilation of girls tend to lead them to drop out of school early.
Monday 3 August 2009
Male Circumcision and HIV
It would appear that circumcised men have a lower rate of HIV infection than uncircumcised. Some people seem to think that this is because these men are religious and abstain from sex more than their uncircumcised counterparts. Source
Monday 2 March 2009
FGM Links for 03.03.09
Female Genital Mutilation is to be banned in Uganda writes the UG Pulse:
The Uganda Law Reform Commission is drafting a bill to criminalize Female Genital Mutilation also known as female circumcision.
Officials of the Uganda Human Rights Commission told journalists at Parliament today that UHRC carried out research on the cultural practice in Kapchorwa, Bukwo and Moroto districts and found that it violates human rights.
They say FGM is one of the practices that violate human rights and they made recommendations concerning the practice to the government.
Women's Health in Sierra Leone is very poor.
The Lawyers Center for Legal Assistance (LAWCLA) has raised serious concern over the poor health conditions of women in Sierra Leone. Lawyer Melron Nicol-Wilson maintained that female circumcision is normally performed by non-professionals, with procedures mainly performed with non-sterilized instruments which may result in the spread of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases especially in the rural areas.
"The process has no health benefits and can be associated with psychological and physical harm. It can lead to death and sexual and reproductive malfunction. Sierra Leone has not passed any law prohibiting the practice. Instead paramount chiefs throughout the country are issuing legal licenses for the circumcisers to continue their practice", he pointed out.
He further stated that Sierra Leone has a maternal mortality rate of 1,800 per 100,000 live births.
The Uganda Law Reform Commission is drafting a bill to criminalize Female Genital Mutilation also known as female circumcision.
Officials of the Uganda Human Rights Commission told journalists at Parliament today that UHRC carried out research on the cultural practice in Kapchorwa, Bukwo and Moroto districts and found that it violates human rights.
They say FGM is one of the practices that violate human rights and they made recommendations concerning the practice to the government.
Women's Health in Sierra Leone is very poor.
The Lawyers Center for Legal Assistance (LAWCLA) has raised serious concern over the poor health conditions of women in Sierra Leone. Lawyer Melron Nicol-Wilson maintained that female circumcision is normally performed by non-professionals, with procedures mainly performed with non-sterilized instruments which may result in the spread of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases especially in the rural areas.
"The process has no health benefits and can be associated with psychological and physical harm. It can lead to death and sexual and reproductive malfunction. Sierra Leone has not passed any law prohibiting the practice. Instead paramount chiefs throughout the country are issuing legal licenses for the circumcisers to continue their practice", he pointed out.
He further stated that Sierra Leone has a maternal mortality rate of 1,800 per 100,000 live births.
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