Young Mothers Take Up The Fight Against FGM In Egypt

Female Genital Mutilation has been hard to eradicate because of a combination of family pressure, cultural traditions and religious motivations. Through several awareness campaign Women’s rights activists and nongovernmental organisations say mothers’ attitudes about the procedure have transformed. 

Nadia Gamal (32) fought an uphill battle to protect her 10-year-old, when her parents tried to push her to circumcise her daughter. Having been circumcised herself at the age of seven, Gamal understood all too well the harm of female genital mutilation (FGM).

“I hated that moment when I got circumcised. It was useless and it caused me a lot of physical and psychological pain. That is why I said no when my parents asked me to circumcise my daughter. I told them that I would never let her experience the same pain that you have put me through. This has to be changed,” said Gamal.

Egypt outlawed FGM in 2008. Eight years later, women’s rights activists and nongovernmental organisations say mothers’ attitudes about the procedure have transformed and the number of circumcised girls is down.

As they’ve become more aware of the hazards and futility of the surgery, young mothers in Egypt have played a central role in fighting FGM.

According to Egypt’s Demographic and Health Survey, 61% of girls between the ages of 15 and 17 underwent FGM in 2014, compared with 74.4% in 2008. The same data showed a significant change in mothers’ attitudes: 92% of all mothers in Egypt are circumcised but only 35% say they intend to circumcise their daughters.

FGM has been hard to eradicate because of a combination of family pressure, cultural traditions and religious motivations. The practice, which usually involves the removal of the clitoris and other parts of female genitalia, is considered by many to be a necessary measure for “taming” a woman’s sexual desires and maintaining her honour. Both Muslims and Christians follow the practice.

Although it carries the risk of bleeding to death and may lead to an array of physical and psychological problems, FGM continues, especially in Egypt’s rural and marginalised regions.

Randa Fakhr El-Din, executive director of the organisation Union Against Harmful Practices on Women and Children said that younger generations of mothers are now taking the responsibility of refusing the practice upon themselves.