CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
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Cameroon |
WOMEN
Villagers join in the campaign to stop female genital mutilation
At the end of September 2003, the inhabitants of eight communities in the north of Cameroon met in Kousseri, a town on Cameroon’s border with Chad.
They wanted to have open discussions on the traditional custom of the genital mutilation of young women. Participants were joined by the local civil authorities, UNICEF representatives and local Members of Parliament (MP)s.
For the past year, participants had been following an educational programme to inform themselves on women’s human rights issues, women’s health problems, and on the risks and dangers inherent in female genital mutilation (FGM) [excision]. They said they soon hoped to give up this practice.
Local people in Kousseri and in other northern provinces with a majority Muslim population (Adamaoua, North and the Far North), plus to a lesser extent, some isolated areas in the south-west, are now prepared to talk openly about FGM, formerly a taboo subject.
There aren’t many people giving up this practice, but the number is increasing. A Cameroonian NGO called «Women and Development in Cameroon» (FDC) organised the ceremony at Kousseri.
As a result of the NGO‘s health education programme, 630 villages in Cameroon, i.e. 11% of all Cameroonians involved in the custom, publicly declared they were going to give up this practice. «It’s strange we’ve never asked people beforehand to end excision», says Martine Ekounga, FDC‘s vice-president.
The programme introduces people to human rights issues and enlightens them about dangers to health from FGM. At this precise point, the FDC introduces it’s campaign slogan: «It’s time for change» and participants then take the decision to give up FGM.
Repercussions on health
Excision is performed on about two million girls worldwide each year. It’s a widespread practice in sub-Saharan Africa.
The World Health Organization (WHO) subdivides the practice into four categories, according to the extent of the excision, as well as recourse made to other procedures — for example, sewing up the vulva, leaving a small opening to allow urine and menstrual blood to pass.
The health repercussions are extremely serious. Women and young girls who undergo such a procedure, suffer from haemorrhages, infection, sterility, and often have difficulties when it comes to giving birth, thus contributing to the mother’s death.
FGM also results in psychological trauma directly related to the excision, due to the fact that the woman sees her sisters, daughters and grand-daughters undergoing the ordeal.
The practice of FGM likewise symbolises women’s traditional lower rank in society. An old law prohibits FGM, and NGO‘s are doing their best to bring court cases against parents who force their daughters to undergo this practice.
Breaking silence
In spite of the sufferings which women endure in northern communities where FGM is practised, not many of them are opposed to it. It’s always been a taboo subject between men and women, and among women. The fact of openly speaking about FGM shows just how far we’ve come.
Mrs. Fatima Oumate is a member of the Association for Advancing Cameroonian Women’s Rights (APDFC), an organisation working on behalf of women’s and young girls’ rights. She’s proud in having succeeded in getting discussions going on the subject. She says: «The fact that men are now prepared to talk about FGM is significant, because it’s a strictly female matter and not easy for Cameroonian men to talk about it. When you hear a village chief speaking about FGM in front of women, you can one see for yourself how things have changed».
The APDFC has set up a «hot line» to deal with FGM issues and receives on average, 16 calls a month.
Mrs. Hadja recalls the following episode: «In Kousseri, an old women stood up in front of the chief and religious leaders and said exactly what she thought about FGM. She wanted to make clear to the Peuhl people that they should give up the practise of FGM. She said: “I hadn’t intended to say anything but now I’ve followed the FDC course, it’s clear the time has come to speak out and I’m not afraid to do so”. People were shattered!».
The men are also pleased about what they’ve learnt from the various discussions. Mrs. Hadja recalls a man whose daughter had died, apparently from tetanus.
He’d followed the FDC course and learnt how microbes are transmitted. He then understood that his daughter had clearly died because of FGM. He went home and told his neighbours it was time to end this practice. To strengthen his argument, he gave the example of his daughter’s death.
Evolution of social customs
It’s not easy to change a tradition which forms an integral part of social customs. Marianne Kombou coordinates education programmes on behalf of nine organizations for ending FGM. She explains: «FGM is firmly anchored in people’s mentalities; that’s why it’s so difficult to end it».
However, many women don’t see any contradiction between the fact of giving up FGM and continuing to respect traditions and social customs. Mrs. Oumate states: «Social customs and traditions are always evolving».
And according to Mrs. Hadja: «Tradition is not an end in itself. Traditions are there to help people grow closer in harmony and peace. Any tradition which causes women and young girls to suffer and even die, militates against its very purpose —i.e. bringing harmony, peace and well-being to the entire community».
In areas where FGM is common practice, girls who do not undergo this ritual are considered «impure» — belonging to a lower social order, and have less chance of marrying.
That’s why, in spite of the pain, many girls are prepared to put up with the operation. Mrs. Kombou reckons that the education programmes can give the girls the opportunity to choose whether to go through with FGM or not. The programmes will also prove to them that even without excision, they will still be «truly women».
Mrs. Oumate says that in Kousseri, many people believe that when an uncircumcised woman has a child, the baby will die. «So we tell them: “Look, in the south and elsewhere, people don’t practice FGM and that doesn’t stop them having children. People say they practise FGM to be good Muslims, and we explain to them that in Mecca, women don’t undergo FGM».
Although there’s no mention of FGM in the Koran, some Islamic groups consider it part of Islamic tradition.
Mrs. Oumate is doing her best to pressurize parliament into taking more positive action against FGM in Cameroon. For her pains she’s received a number of death threats. Partly because of the Islamic groups’ tactics, a new more restrictive law regarding FGM put before Parliament in June 2003, was not voted in.
Mrs. Oumate states: «Islamist groups opposed to ending FGM are still active, but they’re losing their influence because some Imams affirm the Koran does not require women to undergo excision».
Different strategies, same objectives
When they’re out on field work, opponents of FGM chose their words carefully. Women’s Associations say the expression «female genital mutilation» is a degrading term, because it implies that the parents are responsible for «mutilating» their children. They say the term «excision» is more neutral.
But some organizations support the view that a negative connotation can help in making people understand that FGM is a harmful practice. In Kousseri, FDC members also avoid describing their campaign as a «combat» or «war». «As soon as you talk like that», explains Mrs. Hadja, «people are on the defensive. They resist and get angry».
Organizations also note that influential people’s support can be a great help. On 3 October 2003, in Yaounde, Françoise Mbango, silver-medallist in the 2003 Paris Games; the former Cameroonian footballer star, Roger Milla; and the Minister for Social Affairs, Cécile Mbomba Nkolo, publicly declared they wanted FGM to stop. Mrs. Mbomba is also president of the organisation «Nkul Nam» (i.e. «Wellbeing»), an association opposed to violence against women.
In Kousseri, the FDC‘s campaign is supported by the Imam, Bobo Hayatou. He went to the surrounding villages to convince the local people they had to end FGM. At the same time, he insisted that their daughters wouldn’t lose anything of their standing if this practice were abandoned. And local MPs solemnly committed themselves «to furthering improvements in women’s health».
It’s time now for village-folk to act. In Kousseri, one woman noticed that the fact of being informed about human rights, health issues, and how to organize themselves «has had positive effects on women’s lives in the local community. We feel we’re now better conversant with the facts and we now participate in decision-making».
Marie Claire Mpongo works with the Support Centre for Children’s and Women’s Development. This is an NGO based in Yaounde. She says: «It’s important to have laws. It’s also good strategy to have some kind of initiation ceremony (obviously different from FGM) and education programmes to stamp out illiteracy among women. But most important of all comes participation in decision-making».
- Sylvestre Tetchiada, Cameroon, October 2003 — © Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgment