Eliminating Female Genital Mutilation is possible in 2016

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) remains a thorn in the flesh of Sabiny culture. But as the next circumcision season approaches, Sabiny people, with support from government and development partners, want zero FGM come 2016.

For years, Sabiny people, the government, religious leaders, civil society organisations together with UN agencies – UNFPA, UNICEF, UN Women and other stakeholders – have invested a lot in efforts to end FGM. The most recent effort was the 20th Sabiny Culture Day held on December 21 in Bukwo District.

At the function, I interacted with Tina, a Primary 5 pupil. We all knew that it was a Sabiny Culture Day event but to Tina, it was a day for her to present a poem with an anti-FGM message.
Tina, 12, told me that FGM is a dangerous practice which she will never give in to or wish for her friends.

The theme of the event, ‘Culture for improved Livelihoods’, was appropriate for Tina’s message of defiance against FGM. The practice has destroyed the livelihoods of many Sabiny girls and women but Tina was not about to let her life be destroyed by FGM.

When time came for Tina and her friend to present their poem, I was not disappointed because the message was loud and clear: “FGM, FGM, why do you make us get married so early, we are tired of you, get out of our Sabiny land,” read one of the lines in the poem.

It will take the efforts of all Sabiny people to end FGM but to me, the magic solution lies with the Sabiny girls and young women who are the victims. If they say no, who will say yes?
The cutters known as ‘ladies of the knife’ are giving up the knife day by day. Those who are holding onto the knife will have no one to cut because the girls have said no.

Many Sabiny elders who used to be the key defenders of FGM have now denounced the practice. The chairman of Bukwo Elders Union, Mzee Stephen Anguria, accompanied by a big delegation of Sabiny elders, openly denounced FGM and urged his fellow Sabiny people to shun the practice and educate Sabiny girls.

I was told there are a few elders who still believe in FGM and advocate for it in some isolated communities of Sebei. But now that the girls have said no and the entire Sabiny people are behind them, I expect zero FGM cases come 2016.

I understand some local politicians used to fear to speak out against FGM because they feared to lose the votes of elders who supported the practice. Now that the elders have joined the Sabiny girls to fight FGM, I expect all the Sabiny political class to speak out against FGM without fear.

My greatest fear about FGM fight has always been that the girls were not empowered, their parents were not informed and the communities were still backward.

Now that the girls are empowered, the parents are informed about the dangers of FGM and the communities have embraced the campaign against FGM, the efforts of the government, politicians, religious leaders, civil society organisation, UN agencies and other stakeholders to end FGM will soon pay off.

Mr Weswala is a blogger and media practitioner. uweswala@gmail.com