Blog: Health Matters

This blog will provide you with a high-level overview of FGM-related news from around the world:  

1. Egypt:
   1. Human Rights Watch submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on Egypt: Women and girls face violence at extremely high rates in public and private spaces. Though Egyptian authorities have introduced a few legal reforms to combat sexual and gender-based violence, including increasing penalties for the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) and introducing amendments to protect the identities of survivors, serious gaps remain and further legal and other reforms are needed.   
2. Ghana: 
   1. We should not be afraid to discard outmoded cultural practices – Akufo-Addo calls on Chiefs: President Nana Akufo-Addo has called on traditional leaders in the Bono Region to assist in a government clamp-down on certain outmoded cultural practices as the country gears towards development; he called bad widowhood rites, accusing people of witchcraft, trokosi and female genital mutilation (FGM) norms that infringe on the fundamental human rights of people, particularly women.
3. Kenya: (this is the country with the most consistent source of information; I included just a few of the alerts received in this blog)    
   1. State Reinforces Measures to Eradicate FGM: The government has come up with more stringent measures in the fight against female genital mutilation (FGM). Key on the agenda is revision of the eradication of FGM Policy to align it with current realities, developments and the Constitution.
   2. Shebesh Targets Circumcisers to End FGM: a campaign targeted at female circumcisers in efforts to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the country.
   3. Teen Pregnancies in Narok, Kiambu Alarming: The majority of females attending prenatal clinics in Narok County are girls younger than 19 years old; it is estimated that >5000 girls will become pregnant and forced into earlier marriage and FGM as a result of COVID-19. 
   4. “It ruined my life”: School closures in Kenya lead to rise in FGM
   5. Aggressive Religious Campaign Mooted To End FGM: Religious leaders found abetting female genital mutilation could find themselves punished according to the rules laid out by the interfaith council.
   6. Coronavirus: Girls in Masai tribes suffering grave abuse “as teen pregnancies and FGM cases sharply rise”; Girls in Masai tribes are suffering grave abuse and exploitation as teenage pregnancies and cases of female genital mutilation sharply rise amid the coronavirus lockdown, campaigners warned. Educating the Children, a charity which supports young girls in the Masai community, raised fears that when schools finally reopen there will not be enough girls to go back to the classroom due to many having been married off in the meantime. Sonal Kadchha, the founder of the organization, told The Independent that forced marriages were surging in the Masai Mara, a massive national game reserve in south-west Kenya, during the public health crisis.
4. Liberia:
   1. Four NGOs Spread Messages of Anti-FGM In Grand Bassa County, as Traditional Council Vows Eradication: Madam Setta Fofana Saah, National Coordinator of the Traditional Council of Liberia, has declared that her  organization is prepared in the preaching of messages that will eradicate the spread of female genital mutilation in the country, as well in Grand Bassa County.
5. Mali:
   1. Meet the Imams and Matriarchs Putting a Stop to FGM/C and Early Marriage in Mali: Bintou was still a child when her daughter was born. More than 30 years later, she persuades others to reject early forced marriage and female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C).
6. Nigeria:
   1. Imo Threatens to Sanction Medical Personnel Involved in FGM: The Imo State Government has threatened to withdraw the certificate of any healthcare provider, including medical personnel, involved in the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) in whatever form.
7. Somalia:
   1. Midwives fight medicalization of FGM as they lead the campaign to end the practice
   2. Violations against Children on the Rise in Somalia: As the fifth anniversary of Somalia’s ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child approaches, protection violations against children continue to rise. Nearly five years ago, on October 2, 2015, Somalia made a historic leap to uphold the rights of children by becoming the 196th country to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
8. Switzerland:
   1. Switzerland Provides Support to UNFPA Somalia for Improved Maternal and Newborn Health and the Fight against FGM: Switzerland has contributed CHF 4,552,000, in support of the UNFPA Country Programme 2018–2020. This is to strengthen efforts towards improving maternal and newborn health, the fight against harmful practices including female genital mutilation (FGM) and for the empowerment of young people in Somalia.
9. Tanzania:
   1. Man jailed for 15 years for subjecting daughters to FGM: The Kisutu Resident Magistrate Court has sentenced Cosmas Chacha to 15 years in prison for subjecting his three daughters to female genital mutilation.
10. United Kingdom:
    1. Natalia Tena Begins 720K Walk in Support of Orchid Project, walking 720 km along Spain’s Camino del Norte to create awareness about FGM in support of the Orchid Project in the UK. 
    2. “I’m a human rights barrister – and this case made me question the government’s approach to FGM”: An 11-year-old girl called Jasmine is at risk of deportation from the UK, despite facing FGM in her home country. Here, human rights barrister Charlotte Proudman explains why the case should concern us all.
    3. Migrants in England denied NHS care for average of 37 weeks, research finds: Report finds a hospital charged a destitute anti-FGM campaigner with a brain tumour £8,397 for initial treatment.
11. United States:
    1. Rep. Nadler Applauds House Passage of 10 Judiciary Bills: H.R. 6100, the Strengthening the Opposition to Female Genital Mutilation Act or STOP FGM Act of 2020. The STOP FGM Act, introduced by Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), clarifies current law to ensure that the practice of female genital mutilation of minors is prohibited under federal law.
12. Books on FGM:
    1. Female Genital Mutilations discusses the problems with the procedure through one fictional girl’s story: Getu Tadesse Mindaye draws on his real-life experience treating patients who’ve had FGM for his new book.
    2. Stop The Razor – An urgent and timely message: In her introduction, the author opines that the reason the average man doesn’t get enough information about the practice of FGM is because these discoveries are buried in the middle of academic papers, and as a result, she has complied Stop the Razor  “in simple language to bring the hazards of female genital mutilation to the fore.”
13. Menstruation and link to FGM:
    1. Can Female Genital Mutilation Affect Period Flow? Globally, people still hold onto many taboos and myths around menstruation. Such notions around periods create negative attitudes toward this biological phenomenon and menstruators experiencing it. After menarche, girls experience challenges related to the management of periods in public places. According to UNESCO, 1 in 10 school-age African girls do not attend school during menstruation. The World Bank further highlights absences of approximately four days every four weeks.
14. Policy Brief: Enabling Environments for Eliminating Female Genital Mutilation – Towards a Comprehensive and Multisectoral Approach:
    1. This policy brief builds on evidence emerging from the review of key policy and legal developments in all countries where female genital mutilation is prevalent, and in particular experiences from the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation: Accelerating Change.
15. The Condition of the Girl Child Worldwide:
    1. Ahead of the International Day of the Girl Child on October 11, Terre des Hommes has launched the ninth edition of the Indifesa dossier, “The Condition of the Girl Child Worldwide.” The dossier has been developed in the framework of the global Indifesa Campaign launched by Terre des Hommes in 2012. This initiative aims at raising awareness about the need to ensure education, health and protection from violence, discrimination and abuse for girl children worldwide.
16. The Pains And Tears Of Genitally-Mutilated Women:
    1. Binta Onochie was 20 years old when she had her first sexual intercourse. Even though she wasn’t forced by her partner, she said she felt raped, writhing in pain throughout the intercourse. Onochie couldn’t have a normal sexual life because as a toddler, she was cut.