Recent estimates indicate that around 90% of cases include
clitoridectomy, excision or cases where girls’ genitals are “nicked” but no
flesh removed (Type IV), and about 10% are infibulations (WHO).
Type I:
Also known as clitoridectomy, this type consists of
partial or total removal of the clitoris and/or its prepuce.
Type II:
Also known as excision, the clitoris and labia
minora are partially or totally removed, with or without excision of the labia
majora.
Type III:
The most severe form, it is also known as
infibulation or pharaonic type. The procedure consists of narrowing the vaginal
orifice with creation of a covering seal by cutting and appositioning the labia
minora and/or labia majora, with or without removal of the clitoris. The
appositioning of the wound edges consists of stitching or holding the cut areas
together for a certain period of time (for example, girls’ legs are bound
together), to create the covering seal. A small opening is left for urine and
menstrual blood to escape. An infibulation must be opened either through
penetrative sexual intercourse or surgery.
Type IV:
This type consists of all other procedures to the
genitalia of women for non-medical purposes, such as pricking, piercing,
incising, scraping and cauterization.
Khadija grew up as a angry woman and felt her rights to freedom choice, pleasure and sexual rights were violated, which people from her village found it very normal but strange enough they don't really talk about this. She grew up knowing this is normal until the went to girls boding school. having to meet girls who don't happen to look like them down there and having to experience that fact that she does not feel the same way other girls do. to cut the long story short, this made her bitter and vicious. today she is the founder and directer of No FGM Australia, she is basically saying No to this act or culture and helping children who can not speak for themselves from their abusive parents.
This broke my heart and disturbed me i can say, i just didn't know such norms existed, i am totally against this act. it does not feel right. i am one person who believe and value cultures. i respect my culture and value other people's traditions as well, but sometimes i believe we have to break some norms that are harmful to others especially our children. i did a research about this FGM, here's my finding:
Immediate consequences of FGM
Include severe pain and
bleeding, shock, difficulty in passing urine, infections, injury to nearby
genital tissue and sometimes death. The procedure can result in death through
severe bleeding leading to haemorrhagic shock, neurogenic shock as a result of
pain and trauma, and overwhelming infection and septicaemia, according to
Manfred Nowak, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
Almost all women who have undergone FGM experience pain and
bleeding as a consequence of the procedure. The event itself is traumatic as
girls are held down during the procedure. Risk and complications increase with
the type of FGM and are more severe and prevalent with infibulations.
“The pain inflicted by FGM does not stop with the initial
procedure, but often continues as ongoing torture throughout a woman’s life”,
says Manfred Nowak, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture.
In addition to the severe pain during and in the weeks
following the cutting, women who have undergone FGM experience various
long-term effects - physical, sexual and psychological.
Women may experience chronic pain, chronic pelvic
infections, development of cysts, abscesses and genital ulcers, excessive scar
tissue formation, infection of the reproductive system, decreased sexual
enjoyment and psychological consequences, such as post-traumatic stress
disorder.
Additional risks for complications from infibulations
include urinary and menstrual problems, infertility, later surgery
(defibulation and reinfibulation) and painful sexual intercourse. Sexual
intercourse can only take place after opening the infibulation, through surgery
or penetrative sexual intercourse. Consequently, sexual intercourse is
frequently painful during the first weeks after sexual initiation and the male
partner can also experience pain and complications.
When giving birth, the scar tissue might tear, or the
opening needs to be cut to allow the baby to come out. After childbirth, women
from some ethnic communities are often sown up again to make them “tight” for
their husband (reinfibulation). Such cutting and restitching of a woman’s
genitalia results in painful scar tissue.
A multi-country study by WHO in six African countries,
showed that women who had undergone FGM, had significantly increased risks for
adverse events during childbirth, and that genital mutilation in mothers has
negative effects on their newborn babies. According to the study, an additional
one to two babies per 100 deliveries die as a result of FGM.
Azania open view: Khanyi Mdluli
photo cred:
Defender of Faith~Guardian of Truth - WordPress.com
“Most of
black south Africans are in a problem of believing that everything should be
provided by the government wish is simply not true it is up to the citizen to
change the world We then have decided to come up with a campaign that seeks to
not only to fight for sanitary towels but also to provide for the poor but for
now we deliver sanitary towels to poor girls in deep rural areas where we are
saying our sisters should not be stopped but not having sanitary towels to
attend schools and write exams” says Vilakazi
Amawele have
enjoyed plenty of success in the world of stand-up comedy with numerous
projects under their belts, which includes working on a national tour with the
South African Liquor Authority, promoting an awareness around underage
drinking. They have also participated in the promotion of Aromat and were in
the Soweto Comedy event.
