Attitudes Shift on Female Circumcision

The global campaign to identify female circumcision as female genital mutilation, a practice common in many parts of the world, is resulting in a slow but steady change in Darfur.

By Emadeldin Rijal

The communities that practice female circumcision in Darfur are, in most cases, motivated by cultural precedent; the practice is typically done as part of a coming-of-age ceremony. In some cases, community elders justify it with religion, although most of Darfur’s established religious leaders eschew the belief that female circumcision is necessary. Among the communities here, female circumcision continues to be a topic of debate. Those who support the practice say circumcised women are less likely to commit adultery because circumcision mitigates female libido. This belief unfortunately leads to uncircumcised women having fewer chances for marriage. For many Darfuri families, therefore, female circumcision is not uncommon.

As part of the female circumcision ceremony, relatives, neighbours and friends are invited to a grand feast. The circumcision itself, which is usually held in the morning, is followed by merrymaking and festivities that continue well into the evening. Ceremonial drums are played, and the circumcised girl receives gifts, such as gold ornaments, money and livestock. A bigger feast is held on the seventh day after the main event to signal the end of the festivities. In Darfur, the circumcision itself is typically performed by midwives, who are provided with money and household items, such as sugar, coffee and tea, as tokens of appreciation for performing the operation.

The girls who undergo this operation—usually around the age of seven—exhibit a sense of pride that typically fuels curiosity among their peers who have yet to be circumcised. Because this practice is usually done before the onset of puberty, the girls are not fully aware of the health hazards they face. Indeed, in many cases, it is possible that all those attending the circumcision ceremony are unaware of the near-catastrophic physiological and psychological effects that can result from female circumcision.

“I will never forget the time I underwent this procedure, particularly the fact that I was desperately trying to resist it,” says Muna, who used the word “agony” to describe the pain she experienced as she recalls how her mother and her female relatives, along with the midwife, held her down for the operation. “It was a bad moment that continued to have serious consequences in my life,” she says, explaining that, as a result of the procedure, she has had to undergo two cesarean sections while giving birth. The need to have C-sections is a complication associated with female circumcision.

The World Health Organization defines female circumcision as female genital mutilation: “all procedures that involve 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.” Medical experts have identified the negative effects of genital cutting as urinary tract infections, haemorrhaging, urine retention, abscesses, obstetrical complications and sexual dysfunction.

[...]

In Darfur, it is customary for midwives to perform female circumcision. However, an increasing number of midwives, such as those pictured here, are joining local organizations that are raising awareness about the negative physiological and psychological side effects of the practice, and are pledging not to perform the operations. Photo by Albert González Farran, UNAMID.