In female genital mutilation, the clitoris and external genitalia are cut off, then the vagina is sewn up. Practiced throughout much of Africa and the Middle East, this ritual is believed to be performed to reduce a woman’s sexual urges. We have compiled some images from an event in Kenya to give you a glimpse of the negative impact of this horrific act, which is often carried out on young girls.
Note that the images you are about to look at are of tearful, terrified young girls queuing in front of villagers in Kenya to go through female genital mutilation.
These are the Kenyan women ready to face the nerve-wracking ceremony.
Sharp objects such as broken glass, razors and scissors are mostly used to cut off the clitoris and labia.
And it is usually done when the girl reaches puberty.
Some of the girls are excited at the thought of going through the spooky ritual, while some of them are downright sad.
The terrible act is done by an elder or older person in the church. In fact, these older women play a key role in perpetuating the custom.
As you might expect, the older women express their tremendous support, gathering to sing and dance, while the moody young girls, wrapped in animal-skin scarves, spend the night by the fire in a thatched-roof building.
The girls are covered with white paint and, after being circumcised, are squatting over a stone. Their parents stand very close to them and look on with proud eyes.
According to UNICEF, the United States Children’s Fund, more than 125 million women have been killed in the 29 African and Middle Eastern countries where circumcision is practiced.
For UNICEF, female circumcision is “a violation of the human rights of girls and women.” This led to their big move towards eradicating the unpleasant practice.
The cruel practice can be very painful and also end horribly wrong, leading to bleeding, shock and complications during childbirth.
It can also cause infertility, infections, and other health risks. Most women who perform this ritual on girls know the ramifications, but feel the gain exceeds them. Incredibly, more than a quarter of Kenyan women had endured this exact ordeal.
Despite being banned three years ago and making the harsh practice illegal in most African countries. Women in many countries, especially some tribes in Kenya, are still subjected to this ordeal. This is due to the high regard such tribes place on traditions.
One may wonder why this ritual is performed in the first place and the reason is not far-fetched. Those who do see the female circumcision ceremony as an event that marks the transition from little girls from childhood to woman.
Hence it is commonly done to indicate that they have reached the stage of marrying like any other woman. According to the mother of one of the girls, the pain gives them the strength to prove to the whole community that they can endure a lot.
Can Female Circumcision Be Completely Eradicated in Africa?
Female circumcision has evidently reached its peak to come full circle, although many believe it will never really end due to the many challenges facing total eradication. As previously mentioned, most African countries have strict laws in place to end this practice, including Kenya’s law which provides for life imprisonment if a young girl dies as a result of this sick practice.
After seeing the terrible pain these girls are going through, we think more should be done to educate these women and ensure this trend stops altogether.
As more and more women educate themselves about the disadvantages and unpleasant effects of this tradition, they will reconsider and probably discard the practice of aging that still exists in some remote parts of Kenya. Please share on social media.
Note: The above images showing circumcision of teenage girls of the Pokot tribe in Baringo County were taken by Reuters photographer Siegfried Modola.