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FGM - Female
Genital Mutilation in Gambia |
Introduction To Female Circumcision:
The controversial
practice of genital mutilation or FGM is
traditionally performed on women is widely practiced in
Gambia particularly away from the urban areas and in the up-river
rural areas. FGM is
practiced around the world and it is estimated that around 120 million
females have had it performed on them. The procedure though is
particularly prevalent in Africa. The issue has less to do with religion and more to do with African
culture as it is not something prescribed by Islam. It involves
the cutting away of parts of the outer female genitalia and
estimated statistics show that approximately 80% of women have had it performed 1 or 2 years before
their teens. FGM is also practiced by an estimated
7 out of 9 ethnic
groups in Gambia. As of December 2007 no law prohibits any form of FGM. Its origins are unknown but female circumcision is
known to have been performed on young girls before the birth of Islam
or Christianity and cuts across cultural and religious lines.
In the Gambia the practice of FGM
has traditionally been conducted in a context of secrecy, and excision
is seen as giving power to girls in
their rite of passage into womanhood.
In local villages,
instruments used to perform the procedure are usually not sterile and
it is usually performed by a traditional practitioner with a variety
of crude instruments and without anesthetic. Often many girls are operated on during a single ritual
ceremony. In these cases the same razor or knife is often used on a
number of girls. Among the wealthier sections of Gambian
society, it may be performed in a health care facility by qualified
health workers.
A Symposium for Religious Leaders and Medical Personnel on FGM as a
Form of Violence was organised by the Inter-African Committee on
Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women & Children of
The Gambia (GAMCOTRAP). The result was the Banjul Declaration of
July 22, 1998, which stated that the practice has neither
Christian or Islamic
origins or religious justifications and condemned its
continued practice.
Campaign:
In 1996 BAFROW
(Foundation for Research on Women's Health, Productivity &
Development) began working with local communities on an alternative
rite of passage project for girls, commencing with participatory baseline studies focusing
on the Central and Western River Divisions of The Gambia. The
information that was gathered provided data on the prevalence, nature,
justification, and factors contributing to the continuation of FGM.
This information was disseminated among community leaders who were
expected to participate in the creation and delivery of a new rite of passage. BAFROW also conducted
community awareness-raising initiatives that targeted women,
religious leaders, local chiefs, and religious leaders.
Subsequently
BAFROW formed a 30-member advisory committee composed of community and
religious leaders as well as
health workers, traditional circumcisers, and
local government officials. The aim was to develop alternative
rites of passage that emphasized girls’ rights as individuals, their
health, religious education and community responsibilities. After this, 200 religious
experts were gathered from around the Gambia to attended a
2 day workshop to discuss issues about FGM and religious obligations.
The result was the creation of a committee of religious leaders
to support BAFROW in its efforts. Thirty-five
administrative-district-level chiefs, 50 village heads, and many local government officials
were subsequently invited and attended a workshop to plan the
execution of the alternative method of rites. Previous circumcisers were trained as village health promoters and as
designated facilitators of the new rite-of-passage with specially
built sites in selected districts where the new rights of passage
would be performed.
Achievements & Statistics:
An analysis of the project's results found
a reduction in female circumcision cases: in Fulladu District, 412
girls were circumcised in initiation ceremonies in 1996 which fell to
190 girls in 1997. In Niamina District, 92 girls
were cut as part of their initiation ceremonies in 1996 which fell to
12 girls in 1997. There was also a change in attitudes held about FGM.
After the project 78% of women surveyed were in favor of FGM abolition, compared to
between 30%
to 40% in 1996.
Local
Contacts details:
(BAFROW)
214 Tafsir Demba Mbye Rd.
Tobacco Road Estate, Banjul
P.O. Box 2854
Serrekunda, The Gambia
Tel: +4225270 / 4223471
Email: bafrow@gamtel.gm
The Gambia Committee
against Traditional Practices
GAMCOTRAP
PO Box 2990
Serrekunda, The Gambia
Types of FGM:
1. Type One:
(clitoridectomy): This involves the excision (removal) of the
clitoral hood with or without removal of all or part of the clitoris.
2. Type Two:
(Excision): This involves the excision of the clitoris along with part or all of the labia minora.
This is the most widely practiced form of FGM in Gambia.
3. Type Three:
(Infibulation): This is the removal of part or
all of the external genitalia (clitoris, labia minora and labia majora)
and stitching or narrowing of the vaginal opening, leaving a very
small opening, about the size of a matchstick, to allow for the flow
of urine and menstrual blood. This is performed on only a small number of
girls.
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