FGM-How communities are fighting the local cunning surgeons

HEALTH | FMG | SPECIAL REPORT

Vision Group has launched the second phase of a three-month multi-media campaign dubbed ‘Live Your Dream’.  

The multimedia campaign is one component of the broader Live Your Dream campaign that focuses on issues of sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Live Your Dream is implemented in the context of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) global strategic plan. 

This phase of the campaign is also implemented in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, given the serious impacts that the pandemic has had on access to sexual and reproductive health and rights. 

This week, the story explores why the cunning local surgeons (cutters) are still able to carry out the horrendous female genital mutilation (FGM) practice, and what government needs to do to end the vice. 

In 2015, world leaders overwhelmingly backed the elimination of female genital mutilation as one of the targets in 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  

Despite the F2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the FGM 2010 law in place the cunning local surgeons say they cannot quite the practice because it is the only source of livelihood.

Traditional surgeons speak out

During the 2020 FGM cadres strategic meeting, a traditional surgeon from Ngoryomwo who preferred to remain anonymous openly said she can’t quit the practice because it is her only source of income. 

“I am paid a lot of money; about sh200, 000 for each woman or girl I circumcise, so how can I just let such money go,” she notes.   

The surgeon who revealed that she works with a group of others from Tukomo, Kwosir and Ngoryomwo said they only circumcise women and girls who often are brought in by their husbands or parents (to the young girls) willingly.  

According to information in the Action Aid report, mutilators (surgeons) are still stuck to the practice for survival. They were never given what they had been promised by government, a house and a cow for each traditional surgeon who gave up on the practice. So going on with the cutting is a means earning a living.

Cultural practices are believed to fuel the practice of FGM. The senior probation and welfare officer Kapchorwa district local government, Tina Cheptoyek says within the Sabiny community, female genital mutilation (FGM) hinges on a cultural practice locally termed as “besibene”. 

This, according to Cheptoyek is regarded as a sign that allows women to freely engage in communal activities or accompany their husbands as they to visit friends.

“In Sebei, a woman who has not been circumcised cannot go to the communal granary or pick cow dung from the kraal,” she notes. Cow dung is often used to plaster houses, a task often left to women.

Understanding Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is the partial or total removal of the female genitalia. It is practiced in 30 African countries with Uganda inclusive, and some in Asia and Middle East. It is commonly carried out on young girls, often between infancy and the age of 15. 

It is estimated that about 200 million girls and women alive today have had their genitals mutilated, hence suffering one of the most inhuman acts of gender-based violence in the world. 

For Uganda, the national prevalence of female genital mutilation (FGM) stands at 0 .3% down from 1.4% according to the Uganda Demographic Health Survey (UDHS 2016). 

The barbaric practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) is still happening in the Sabiny community in districts of Bukwo, Kween and Kapchorwa. Districts such as Amudat, Nakapiripirit and Moroto in Karamoja region still harbor the FGM practice.

The U-Survey preliminary report (UBOS, 2016) indicates that FGM practice is still high at 20% among the Sabiny and at 67% among the practicing communities of Karamoja. 

Shocking picture on the ground      

Local surgeons (cutters) in Amudat district have lately embarked on circumcising girls as young as 12 and 13 years.

Loroo sub-county in Amudat district has become a hot bed for female genital mutilation. The villages where the barbaric act is conducted include: Nagoliet, Kakoug, Kasitent and Nakonyen in Loroo sub-county. 

The other sub-counties still practicing FGM include: Karita and Amudat with the leading villages in Karita sub-county include: Moruembong, Kokwochaya, Kakororon and Korenyang. In Amudat Sub-county the villages where FGM is highly practiced are: Montany and Dingdinga.  

Last year (2020) in November police raided the Nagoliet village in Loroo sub-county following a tip by the community. A total of 26 young girls were arrested after they had been circumcised. 

Kapchorwa district

The district community development officer, Kapchorwa Harriet Aseko notes that last year (2020) a total of 330 women were mutilated in of Tumboboi and Sirinda in Kaptannya sub-county, in Kapleko in Kapteret sub-county, Kapkwoki in Tegeres sub-county and in Kring in Kapsinda sub-county. Of these about 20 women were arrested but were later released on bond due to insufficient evidence. 

In the previous years, Kapchorwa district has been recording an increase in the number of women being circumcised.  For instance, in 2016, a total of 48 women were cut, however the number rose to 58 in January 2019.  Aseko explains that circumcision was not conducted in 2018 because a flower called nguit that signifies bad omen appeared. 

According to the Sabiny culture when the nguit flower appears it is a warning not to shed blood. By January 2019 the flower had disappeared so the communities held the ceremony secretly without the law enforcers noticing. 

“Actually, they got us unaware since we knew the circumcision ceremony had been called off due to the flowering,” she notes.  

Aseko notes that the situation on the ground could be worse but it is difficult to ascertain the actual numbers since the vice is done secretly. 

Kween district is one of the districts in Sebei with the highest number of reported cases of FGM, this worsened last year January 2020 where an estimate of over 200 girls and women were circumcised, according to Action-Aid International Kapchorwa cluster report.  

Although the vice is practiced secretly in most sub-counties, the hot spots include:  Aloman, Yatui, Kaplegep and Tukumu.   

The situation is not any different in Bukwo district. The information gathered through intelligence reports revealed that about 14 women from Riwo sub-county in Bukwo district bordering West Pokot County in Kenya were circumcised last year. Upon police intercepting, the women (victims) and surgeons (traditional cutters) were tipped off and they fled to Kenya.  

The women returned later after healing hence making it difficult to identify them.  Similarly, in 2018, out of 12 FGM culprits in Riwo sub-county, five were arrested and seven managed to escape together with the surgeons to Kenya.

Why care about FGM

Dr. Consolate Kabonesa a lecturer at Makerere University School of women and gender studies explains that FGM endangers girls and women’s health, depriving them of their fundamental human rights.

FGM is life threatening and the immediate danger is severe bleeding after the genitals have been cut off. 

Additionally, infections may set in. Later in life the scars could form keloids, which are growths. Such effects increase the risk of childbirth complications and newborn deaths.

Communities fight FGM

Given that Amudat district does not have a single radio station, Dorcus Chelain who is the vice district chairperson Amudat says the district officials use radio Kenya to hold talk shows and sensitize the community about the dangers of FGM practice. During the radio talk shows, the community is also encouraged to embrace good parenting skills. 

The district community development officer, Kapchorwa Harriet Aseko explains that a lot is being done to stamp out the vice. 

With support and funding from FGM program abandonment, sensitization on FGM abandonment is on-going. For instance, community dialogues at village level with all the girls out of school have been held, consensus building where communities declare that they will not practice the vice again. 

Radio talk shows are conducted regularly to sensitize the communities about the FGM 2010 law, so that they know the legal implications since majority are ignorant.

Coordination meetings with the police, judiciary and all stakeholders who are in position to address FGM to ensure the referral system is in place and well followed have been held. Social workers are also encouraged to report cases of violence and FGM in communities. 

Modal families who act as champions in the community have been identified. They help to sensitize people on issues of good parenting and promoting girl- child education. 

The police being led by the district Police Commander (DPC) are conducting community policing and surveillance especially in the hotspot sub-counties that include: Kortek, Kabei, Kapererwo and Riwo, in Bukwo district plus Kaptanya, West division (Tegeres and Kapteret) and Kapsinda sub-counties in Kapchorwa district, Ben Sekajja the District Community Development Officer (DCDO) for Bukwo notes. 

Stakeholders meetings with elders, reformed FGM surgeons and mentors, religious, opinion leaders, women are held regularly. During the meeting solutions of ending female genital mutilation are discussed. 

For instance, how to get information to law enforcement officers and how elders can talk to the girls and women to abandon the FGM practice, an intervention dubbed; grandmother approach. 

Cross boarder meetings with officials from West Pokot County in Kenya will be held immediately the lockdown is completely lifted, Sakajja notes.