FGM awareness campaign launched among urban refugee communities

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KAMPALA - Though the Government has made strides in combating female genital mutilation (FGM) in Sebei and Karamoja regions, it has been found that the practice continues unabated among Somali and Sudanese refugee communities in Kampala City.

The Government and partners have now embarked on a campaign to raise awareness against FGM and other related harmful practices in the targeted refugee communities.

During a sensitisation campaign on September 20, 2024, in Natete, Rubaga division, with the urban refugee communities in Nateete, Mengo, and Kisenyi, it was discovered FGM is carried out in secrecy within the homes of certain elders, with others undergoing the procedure in clinics.

FGM, according to UNICEF, refers to all procedures involving partial or total removal of the female external genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.

The practice can potentially result in serious health complications including chronic pain, infections, a heightened risk of HIV transmission, mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression, difficulties during childbirth, infertility, the development of genital keloids and in extreme cases, life-threatening haemorrhaging, according to the World Health Organisation.

The excision of the clitoris can also lead to reduced sexual desire and pleasure, and discomfort during intercourse.

It is now 14 years since Uganda passed The Prohibition of the Female Genital Mutilation Act, 2010 as a move to curtail the practice among the Pokots (Amudat district); the Tepeth (Moroto district); and the Kadama (Nakapiripit district) in Karamoja sub region and among the Sabiny people in the districts of Bukwo, Kween, and Kapchorwa in the Sebei sub region.

Speaking during one of the intergenerational dialogues in Mengo, Joel Mandu, a legal officer with the Office of the President at Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), remarked that the actions of refugees are undermining the progress in the Sebei and Karamoja, which has seen a reduction in cases of FGM over the years.

Some of the Somali women attending the Anti-FGM campaign in Natete. (Credit: Jeff Andrew Lule)

Comply with the law

He educated the communities about the consequences specified in the anti-FGM Act, which vary from life imprisonment for those found guilty of aggravated defilement, a 10-year sentence for performing the act, down to a five-year prison sentence for those who attempt to carry out, aid, or participate in any way in FGM.

“When you stay in Uganda, you must abide by the laws of Uganda. That is why we are here. You must help the Government to ensure the culprits are arrested and face the law. FGM has nothing good apart from causing pain to our girls and mothers,” Mandu noted.

The event was organised by ActionAid International Uganda (AAIU) in collaboration with the Norwegian Refugee Committee, KCCA, and the Office of the President, with assistance from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

At the various campaigns, numerous female refugees revealed how they were coerced into the practice by their parents.

They noted that FGM is still prevalent in their communities.

They claimed that secretive FGM still occurs in Kisenyi clinics in downtown Kampala, known for hosting Somali refugees.

It was revealed that some parents take daughters to Somalia for circumcision through Kenyan borders, then bring them back.

Parents are said to often persuade their daughters with promises of gifts like chicken, soda, cakes, new clothes, and shoes to undergo FGM.

Mandu emphasized that this not only indicates the ongoing practice of FGM but also suggests a pressing issue of human trafficking that must be urgently addressed.

Creating awareness

Sam Francis Ononge, the AAIU project officer on FGM, said the programme seeks to eradicate FGM within the urban refugee communities specifically targeting individuals from Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan (both North and South), and Eritrea, where the practice is common.

“We want to enhance awareness of the FGM legislation in Uganda by engaging in comprehensive information dissemination and conducting thorough research within these communities,” he added.

The campaign aims to engage more young people who are potential victims and empower women to speak up.

As a result of the meetings, various groups formed surveillance teams aimed at monitoring FGM practices in their communities, to ease reporting of the incidents for actions.

“Because of this campaign women can now speak up without fear because they know where to report,” he added.

In Somalia, girls typically undergo circumcision around the age of nine, while in Sudan girls are circumcised at around 12 years.

Some of the Somali women attending the Anti-FGM campaign in Natete. (Credit: Jeff Andrew Lule)

The pain

A victim of Somali descent who chose to remain anonymous recounted her experience of undergoing FGM at the age of nine, along with three other girls, in a home in Kisenyi, a situation she says was imposed by their parents.

She was subsequently married off at 15. Now 25 years old, she chose to divorce due to the severe pain she endured during sexual intercourse and while giving birth.

"I am now a single mother of five at my age, striving to provide for my children. I cannot consider remarrying anymore because of the trauma I have experienced," she stated.

All communities universally rejected the practice and its associated myths that have been sustaining its continuation.

Abdalla Bassma, a Sudanese refugee, said after the sensitisation, she realised FGM offers nothing apart from serious health hazards for women.

She observed that numerous myths regarding this practice have kept it alive.

“They believe that a girl who hasn’t gone through FGM process is not pure and not suitable for marriage. This pushes parents to ensure their girls are circumcised,” she said.

Encourages early marriage

Emmanuella Iggale, a prominent Sudanese refugee, said FGM contributes to the prevalence of early marriages, as girls are commonly subjected to this practice by the age of 12, thus qualifying them for marriage.

“When a girl is to get her period, they celebrate, that is like to inform the community that she’s actually now a woman and that basically opens room for suitors to come in and ask for her hand in marriage,” she added.

The suitors are not restricted by age; they may be 30, 40, or even 50 years old.

“What truly matters is that they approach your family with a bride price, which could include a significant number of cows like 80 or 100 or a substantial amount of money. This financial support is often directed towards families in need, such as refugees in Kampala,” she noted.

Iggale also observed that the practice also heightens the risk of HIV infection as well as the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), because individuals engaging in it are not tested, lack proper training, and use the same instruments.

They also urged governments to incorporate the FGM issue into the education curricula at all levels, to enable young individuals to be informed and recognize it as a detrimental practice.

It is estimated that about 200 million girls and women globally have undergone some form of FGM.

In Africa, women are subjected to FGM in 28 countries, including Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in East and South Africa.