Complete
eradication of FGM requires constant vigilance
By Ali Ismael Mohamed –Puntland
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
is a traditional catastrophe, begun from the Pharaohs era
in the age of Ramses two 1000
years before Christ. A large population of people is
affected by the custom of FGM in
some parts of the world.
Female circumcision is an
ancient Egyptian habit which was introduced in Sudan and the
custom of infibulations spread
throughout the Nile Valley. It is also practiced today in
Somalia, Kenya and certain parts
of Indonesia.
This old custom that female
genitals are offensive to virtue appears to be still accepted in
some parts of the world. The
problems which this kind of circumcision involves include
the direct effects of
infibulations as follows:-
- Surgical shock..
- Bleeding.
- Inflammation and
Putridity.
- Retention of the
urine and of the menstrual blood.
- Puerperal fever.
- And Sterility.
The Female Genital Mutilation
FGM and Pharaonic circumcision are hardly practiced in
whole Somalia including Puntland
State. It is said to be penetrated from Nile region
including Sudan, Egypt and
Ethiopia which a large scale of Somali People live there
ethnically.
Some of the UN agencies and
International Organizations set a goal to eradicate
globally this traditional
disaster existing in parts of the world. Many attempts and
social
awareness had been made in the
last decade to stop FGM practices throughout the world.
Unfortunately, this bad custom
still is actively practiced in some of the countries.
The FGM or Pharaohic
circumcision is only a Somali habit not accepted on religious
and health grounds in the community so, the only thing that FGM
elongates its life span can be summarized in the following
points:-
- Parents,
especially mothers are always afraid their younger daughters
will “do evil things” if they
are left not circumcised.
- Traditional TBAs
who perform infibulations depend on it economically, so
they try to convince people to
practice the FGM system.
- FGM is
traditional custom in the community.
- Females are to be
trusted in their virgins only when they are hardly
circumcised and infibulated in
the time of their marriage.
This catastrophe can not be
eradicated easily. It needs task force nationally and
internationally, and continuous
orientation and public awareness. Good strategies and
planning must be taken to act
before implementing the goal.