GUGULETHU MHLONGO
Our stance as Idlozi Magazine is clear, we say NO to Female Genital Mutilation. This cruel traditional custom that is largly practiced in the Middle East and in African. It is seen as a complete violation of the human rights of girls. Through this practise, a young girl between the ages of 4 and 15 is taken to an elderly woman in the community who is said to be ‘experienced’ in the ‘cutting’ of girls. Here, the woman uses a sharp blade or object to partly or completely remove the young girls genitalia and then saws what’s left of her together. Only for the girls husband to cut her open before forcing himself onto her, on their wedding night.
The girl is either forced by her family or pressurised into going through with the process. The traditional custom is still secretly practised in communities where the society sees girls as unclean and unworthy of marriage if they have not been cut. Once a girl is found out to not have gone through this groosome procedure, she faces stigma by members of society. She would be labelled as a prostitute regardless of whether she has ever partaken in any sexual activity and men would refuse to marry her until she undergoes cutting.
To date, a total of 230 millon girls have undergone FGM. 114 million of those are in Africa. Countries in African that still practise FGM largly include; Somalia, Senegal, Nigeria and Kenya where FGM is practised by certain ethnic and religious groups. There are numerous reports where a girl would not survive the procdure, where she would bleed to death. Other girls die during child birth due to complications. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), “The practice also violates a person’s right to health, security and physical integrity; the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment; and the right to life, in instances when the procedure results in death.” WHO has also been very instrumental in working towards ending FGM where they are discouraging the involvement of healthcare workers in performing the FGM procedure as it is believed to be safer when medicalized.
6 February is recognised as the International Day of zero tolerance for FGM. However, this Human Rights Day, Idlozi Magazine has dedicated it’s March 2025 edition to the course for ending FGM.This is how we see a change taking place;
- BEHAVIOUR CHANGE: we want society to change its behaviour towards young girls. Girls and women should not be limited to childbaring and marriage. They are the ‘backbone of our continent and they form an intricate part in the development our our people.
- COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: we want communities to engage more in events, activities and initiatives that aim at protecting the dignity of young girls and women. We need men to take up their role in society, which is to shield the vulnerable and to discourage any abuse towards women and children. We plead with society to gain more information and to voice their opinions on FGM, regardless of their demographic, “this doesn’t affect me or happen in our country”. To increase sansitization FGM by using the #endfgm when raising awareness on social platforms.
- INTERVENTION EVALUATION: We need to take note of how many more people speak up against such injustices. To encourage survivors of FGM and child marriages. How they were affected and how they became survivors. To use books, documentaries and other documentations to spread information on FGM.
Some of the survivors of FGM who have spoken about their experiences included;
Author, Activist and Lawyer for Human Rights, Woppa Diallo – Senegal
Activist and Speaker, Shamsa Araweelo Somali-British
We have conducted a survey to find out from young geirls and our larger community on what they have to say about FGM, this is what they had to say;
Khanya Zuma
Miss Heritage KZN 2022
Artist
& young maiden
I had no clue about FGM and that it’s a practice that exists. For me, self preservation was a choice that I made at a young age. From the age of 8, I attended virginity checking and groups aimed at teaching young girls about the disadvantages of engaging in sexual activities such as teenage pregnancies, STI’s and contracting HIV. Luckily for me, my family supported me and they were proud of my decision. I was inspired by older girls who attended these groups. Now some of them are cultural influencers who educate young girls on abstenance and self-preservation. Many of them are now engaged or already married with children. They didn’t need to be cut, they just knew the route they wanted to take in life and today they are reeping their patience and self-respect that they sawed within themselves. Regarding FGM, I have no words to express how I felt when Idlozi Magazine approached me for my opinion and gave me a brief on what FGM is. It’s terrifying, it shouldn’t be practiced at all, in any country. The practise is a violation of the girl child. I understand that when parents take their girl children to be cut. Their true intention is to protect their child from interacting in sex before marriage, teenage pregnancy and other deseases. I understand that the parents aim to protect their family name, however this is violation. Why can’t they just sit their daughter down and advise them accordingly?
I feel that FGM shouldn’t even exist. It’s really not right, there are so many devastating disadvantages including death. This practise endangers the lives of the girls where FGM is practised. I don’t think any woman or mother should practise this on a girl child. I hope our government would never apply such in South Africa, it’s just completely unnacceptable.
Sthokozile Zama Mzolo
Activist
& young maiden
I am a young maiden who started her journey in attending classes and groups aimed at empowering young girls at the age of 14. Here, we are tought about the consequences of partaking in sexual activities before marriage. We are encouraged to avoid being the statistics in teenage pregnancy and young people living with HIV by not participating in sexual activities of any kind, not just virginal penitration. I took the decision to look for such a group in my area and my mother supported me. Today, I am 22 years old and a proud virgin, I have accumulated so much. I am a graduate, I participate in social debates, I am an MC and I am the proud founder of, “Ngiyisakhiwo Sobungcwele”.
On the issue of FGM and Human Rights, I have recently learned that it is a practise where girls mostly in parts of the Middle East and in Africa undergo a form of ‘female’ circumcision. My view is that there should be another way in teaching girls on self preservation without harming them. Innocent girls lose their lives during the procedure. It should be an offence against human rights and our politicians should take strict measures against such acts.
Phindile Mbonane-Ndebele
Wife & mother
Author & entrepreneur
I feel that FGM undermines a woman, as a mother to two girls I would never put my daughters through such an injustice to them. I would rather be banished from the area where I live I I don’t flee such a place with my girls. I don’t understand why such horrific measures need to be applied in ‘protecting’ girls from unwanted pregnancy or sex befor marriage. Why can’t they enroll their girls in empowerment groups where the girls will be taught about the advantages of self-preservation.
The moment they choose to ‘cut’ these girls they are not only harming them physically but imagine the emotional scars these girls are left with. How do these mothers even live with themselves in the instance where a girl loses her life during the procedure?
I feelthat the procedure takes the girls right to live and function as a female. Surely FGM affects a womans reproductive system. I am a proud Zulu women, we teach our girls about the benefits of self-preservation. We encourage our girls to wait for marriage to experience sexual intercourse.
FGM for me is a form of abuse on these young girls, it takes away their human right to life, safety and security.