Female Genital Mutilation In Meru County-The Misery Cut

Female Genital Mutilation in Meru County- The Misery Cut

It is locally called  ntano cia nkenye, which I rather call the misery cut. The practice is one of the oldest traditional practice among the Ameru as a ritual passage from childhood to adult among the girls/women. Basically, it involves total or partial removal of the girls’ genitalia-clitoris, how absurd that girls as young as five undergo the cutting! Even as other Kenyan tribes narrow down from the practice,we have relentlessly continued to cut our girls, making us a subject of interest locally and across borders. But how do we hold on to a practice that has no history (we don’t know when or where it came from) does it even have a single benefits? I am certain none. So why the cut?  Maybe the Swahili have an answer for us, “Mwacha mila ni mtumwa “which translates to he who abandons his culture is a slave. That is it, I guess!

FGM as a just a cut is an underestimating perception of the effects on women and girls  physical, psychological and social welfare

I come from Igembe, where FGM is rampant, where you attend Catechism on Saturday afternoon as primary school girlfriends only for two or more to disappear for the whole holiday. When you meet next, they have nothing to do with you because they already "grown-ups",  known as ngutu. It is still in Igembe those Catechism girlfriends disappear to hiding for the fear of the cut. How the young girls fall into the FGM trap- the willing as victims of peer pressure with no clue of the danger ahead, the unwilling but have to because the parent or guardians have made the final decision; these are issues of concern . The law is against this oppressive and graveious procedure,  that's not only a hindrance to development but further a violation of fundamental human rights. It is has turned into an invisible monster- secretly/ privately done, with no pomp and color as before.

Sometimes we decide to 'accommodate' the wrong company in our lives

 The cut is performed by “specialists” known as mutani using razor blades, sharp or crude tools; note one  can be used for more than five years, on up to five girls at one, which further increases the risk of spreading diseases especially HIV/ AIDS and tetanus. It comes as a surprise for girls as its secretly arranged family members especially grandmothers, mothers, aunties, elder sisters or close trusted friend. Normally, girl(s) are woken up very early in the morning and taken to an odd place ( in a house, bush or forest), then stripped off their clothes or covered with leso from the waist upwards, legs are forced apart as woman, the mutani (cutter) runs his tool across the clitoris. There is always a 'disciplinary group  on the stand by for anyone who resists or tries to run away. Screaming or crying loudly is also met with ruthlessness such as stuffing clothes in the mouth to avoid bringing shame to the family or attract unnecessary attention. Then the girls are covered in leso, with a possibility of walking to another place where they are hidden for almost one two months healing and receiving “tender, love and care” in the name of good food, presents, advice and marriage proposals from futures husbands. 

We need to speak out for the 'potential' victims of FGM in the community grassroots

Even with sensitization, awareness and advocacy by government, churches, education institutions, health facilities, media and NGOs to prove FGM is of  no medical benefits, a violation of human rights and social setback to girls and women, almost half of Meru County residents still embrace it as a significant culture/ tradition. So, why has FGM become the hardest nut  to crack in Meru County? There are different angles at which we can analyze its complex nature. First, it’s deeply ingrained in our social and cultural frameworks with support and endorsement of our elders. Therefore, for most families, FGM is a prove of best interest at heart for their girl child.  Secondly, the removal of clitoris, an organ designed for sexual pleasure is a sure way of curtailing sexuality hence preventing promiscuity (oversexed). So, virginity is preserved for marriage as they are able to resist sexual temptations.

FGM should not be as it was in the 70's; sensitization, awareness and advocacy are important approaches to success

Third, Meru is known as a patriarchal society, which explains the women’s position and marriage; although we are experiencing a change, men were the head of family, clan, tribe, church…he leads everywhere!  Therefore, resources and power were a thing of hand down, that women access to resources was through the husband or other males in her family. So virginity is essential not only for marriage but also is FGM as a connecting factor to resource access.

Girls warming up prior to the cut

Fourth, FGM is a highly profitable economic activity. The cost of cutting one girl is between 700 – 1200Kshs. The mutani is said to make up over 50, 000 Kshs the long holidays. Further, she is gifted with goats, foods and traditional beer. In the old days, they were very respected members of the community, and were sought after in resolving domestic issues.Therefore, any approach to ban the practice is coldly received, same as introducing an alternative economic activity.Cutting the girls is one thing, while the aftermath is another. Most of the girls and women who have undergone the cut describe it as grievous experience coupled with short and long term torture.

                                                 Let me share a few borrowed experiences:-

After an initiation 'ceremony', girls waiting to be taken 'home'

                                         “Kanana Murungi”, Mutuati, Igembe 

I was six years old when it happened. In the morning, when I was at school, they told me it was ‘my time’. My uncle and aunt came to take me. It was my sister’s time too – she was eight years old. The woman to cut us was my grandmother’s sister – and she was going to cut us in a hut under a huge tree. They used ropes to tie our legs apart and there were lots and lots of girls there. I could hear screams, lots of horrible screaming and there was so much blood. Some girls were crying too. I ran away – I ran as fast as I could but they sent boys after me. They took me by legs and arms, and carried me back. One of them was my older brother. They tied me down, I was fighting as hard as I could, but they were stronger. I was screaming. The old woman, used a crude tool, – it was old, dirty and stained with blood from previous cuts, there was no anesthetic. But then another woman came, she was from a different village, and smeared stuff on my fresh wound, I am telling you, this sent me to hell...the pain was unbearable. They tied my legs together the whole way down.I was like that for three or so weeks.

                                        “ Alice Nkatha Kaberia” Kianjai, Tigania...

A girl about to be cut

Someone knocked at door as early as 3.00AM; somehow I was convinced it was not one of those usual days. It had happened to my cousin the previous holiday; my mum had also started behaving strangely towards me. I got convinced the motives were ill, and ignored their knocks. Then a quarrel began, ‘did you have to tell your daughter of her circumcision ceremony, when are going to keep some things as a secret?’ ‘I never discussed anything with her.’ That was my mum and grandmother. ‘Are you sure she in here, we have been knocking for so long?’ I opened the window immediately, jumped out, ready to escape. Unfortunately, I fell, hitting my head against a stone, the bang called them to where I lay unconscious!  

Over bleeding is the root cause of deaths after the cut

As though in a distant world, I could hear my grandmother using a Meru saying, referring to me,  Mburi Ntoroto itirekaa mirigo iogwa, meaning, a naughty goat does not ease for packaging of luggage. They carried me to a far different house. I also remember someone undressing me while laying me on the mat, spread my legs on the floor, covering my upper body with a leso. “She is so stubborn, thanks God she fell, we rather hurry before she regains herself back”. My aunt said. Immediately, they spread my legs, tying them on two posts apart. "Pass me the bowl with a razor, and ash, then hold her hand tightly, she might be playing unconscious", said the old woman.Next, someone was massaging my clitoris, then suddenly, an extremely sharp shooting pain, and lots of wetness that I learnt later was my blood.

No matter how small, everyone has a role to play towards anti-FGM generations

I woke up in Maua Hospital ward three days later after being in a coma. The nurse on duty said  I had lost so much blood, the entire area of my genitalia was swollen and at some point they thought I was a gone case. I touched my down there, true my clitoris was gone, my legs were so swollen, I could barely walk, sit or stand, while urine run down anyhow. I stopped eating or drinking anything for fear of messing myself. My world was blur and dark. 'My people' were nowhere to be found, except the cutter, I later learnt she was called Mukoiti who brought pads and bananas. She said his son would marry me as soon as I was out 'danger'. "God in all these, I pray you have spared me from HIV/ AIDS, probably I will overcome these others, so I fight for others girls". I prayed.

See you in the next post as I highlight on the effects on Female Genital Mutilation and the way forward.