County News/ Issues
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 five as undergo the
cutting! Even as other Kenyan tribes narrow down from this 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? Does it even have a single benefits? I am certain of 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!
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FGM
is 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 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 as it is secretly/
privately done, with no pomp and color as before.
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.
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.
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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.
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:-
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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:-
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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.
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!
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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.
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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.
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