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Harmful traditional practices are performed for male benefit
Friday, 10 September 2010 22:10
By Abdoulie JohnSocial conditions women are often subjected to help perpetuate an inferior status of them which inhibit structural and attitudinal changes necessary to eliminate gender inequality, says UNFPA’s Fatou Kinteh.
Describing harmful traditional practices as consequences of the value placed on women and the girl child by society, Kinteh said that such practices “persist in an environment where women and the girl have unequal access to education, wealth, health and employment.”
The UNFPA Programme Officer on Gender and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) made these vibrant statements during the just concluded training session on harmful traditional practices and domestic violence.
Held at the Baobab Holiday Resort in Bijilo, outside Banjul, the session brought together dozens of media practitioners who were trained on reporting on such harmful practices.
Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) is an entrenched practice in Gambia, mainly viewed as an issue of cultural identity, making it tricky for undue government intervention.
But, according to Fatou Kinteh, the reality is that traditional practices have been performed for the sole benefit of the male members of the society.
“Females are socially controlled by men and the economic and political subordination of women perpetuate the inferior status of women and inhibit structural and attitudinal changes necessary to eliminate gender inequality,” she told participants at the training session.
Demystifying the beliefs that legitimize these deeply rooted traditions performed on women and girls, Mrs Kinteh spared no efforts to unveil the disparities existing between them, shaking ipso facto the justifications that back FGM/C.
“In some cultures it forms an important part of the rites of passage ceremony, marking the coming of age of the female child. It is believed that by cutting the female genital organs, her sexuality will be controlled, but above all it is to ensure a woman’s virginity before marriage and chastity thereafter. It is an age old practice which is perpetuated in many communities around the world simply because it is customary,” she stated.
Pursuing this iconoclast path, she highlighted the variance in the age at which FGM/C is carried out from area to area.
“FGM/C is performed on infants as young as seven days, on children 7 to 10 years old and on adolescents. Adult women also undergo the operation at the time of marriage.”
But “since FGM/C is performed on infants as well as adults,” Kinteh argued, “it can no longer be seen as the rites of passage into adulthood, or as ensuring virginity.”
Statistics reveal an alarming reality concerning the impact of this centurial practice which “over 130 million girls and women alive today have undergone, mostly in Africa (25 countries), Asia and some Middle Eastern countries.”
As such, only a global approach will help to eradicate for good a tradition that continues to kill women and girls all over the world. Needless to say that it is high time the United Nations General Assembly consider declaring this abject practice ‘crime against humanity’, through a resolution that can capture the despair and plight of millions of women and girls…
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Comments
Why are we not seeing them challenging the short skirt dressing along the streets of Banjul and the Kombos, why not the skin bleaching ?
As brother Mahfuji put it, they are a failed association and they will remain to fail on this particular issue.
Call me a Banana if they ever succeed !
In the service of Africa I remain Bro.,
FGM is not an African thing, it belongs everywhere, and so are its problems. SO do not make this look like it is a fight to undo our cultures; no. in fact it is a fight to undo bad aspect of our cultures. Isn't that a commendable thing to do?
Whether they have succeeded or not doesn't in anyway suggest they are not serious. You can imagine how difficult it will be to achieve such a goal when ppl like Lalo Kebba will claim every such crusade as anti our civilisation.
Pls, pls, stop this!!!
Why your able organization never venture into condemning the skin bleaching and other harmful things such as abadoning your own natural Hair created by God to adjust your Hair with animal hair and death human beaing, try to travel to some part of Asian countries not to mention any country's name but you will see by yourself how they produce do produce those long Hairs our African women are using day in & out to abadoning their Natural beauty kinki Hair given my their creator !
Why not campaigning or demontrating for the wearing of short skirt girls are wearing to attract men along the streets don't you think all these and that are reducing your morality within the society ?
Kinteh-Jula, there are many things you people are neglecting while seeing it as awareness while they are the cause of all the trouble women are in today !
In the service of Africa I remain
I quote from this above news for the sake of your able Readers
which inhibit structural and attitudinal changes necessary to eliminate gender inequality, says UNFPA’s Faout Kinteh.
Look at the second Name:
But, according to Fatou Kinteh,
So will she remain to be: FATOU / FAOUT ?
Hoping to seeing your action on time
In the service of the people I remain
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