TWEET CONFERENCE: Alternative rites of passage as a strategy for ending FGM/C: Experiences from other countries – Victoria Okorie
- Its few minutes to our Conference today, let us all get ready as we discuss extensively. #endcuttinggirls
- Our topic is “Alternative rites of passage as a strategy for ending FGM/C: Experiences from other countries. #endcuttinggirls
- Questions will be asked at the end of the session by 6pm. Prepare your questions as we believe to tackle them all. #endcuttinggirls
- To understand this better, I will give background information of FGM/C to aid us flow with the conference.
- Afterwards we talk on rites of passage before we extensively discuss the alternative rites of passage and experiences from the countries that practice it. #endcuttinggirls.
- FGM/C is an acronym for female genital mutilation and cutting. #endcuttinggirls
- It is “any partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or any other injury to the female genital organ for non-medical reasons”. #endcuttinggirls.
- FGM/C is carried out on young girls between infancy and age 15, and occasionally on adult women. #endcuttinggirls.
- There are effects of FGM/C on the girl child. They includes; severe bleeding, vaginal infections,. #endcuttinggirls.
- Urinary tract infections, pain during sex, painful menstrual cycle, infertility and in some cases death occurs. #endcuttinggirls
- These effects depend on the type performed, expertise of the practitioner, hygiene conditions, and amount of #endcuttinggirls.
- And finally the general health condition of the girl/woman undergoing the procedure. #endcuttinggirls.
- On the other hand, Rite of passage can be defined as a ceremony or event marking an important. #endcuttinggirls.
- stage in someone’s life, especially birth, the transition from childhood to adulthood. #endcuttinggirls.
- It can also be defined as a celebration of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another. #endcuttinggirls.
- Rites of passage usually involve ritual activities and teachings designed to strip individuals of their original roles and prepare them for new roles. #endcuttinggirls
- Examples includes FGM/C, land diving, hamar cow jumping, maasai lion hunt, vision quest, ogiek roar, aborigine walkabout, mentawai teeth sharpening, Fulani facial tattoos etc. #endcuttinggirls.
- There are three stages in this practice (rite of passage). #endcuttinggirls
- They includes; a) Separation b) Liminality c) and Incorporation. #endcuttinggirls.
- It has also been discovered that these rites of passage has some effects of which are psychological. #endcuttinggirls.
- These include cognitive dissonance, conformity among new members, and increase feelings of affiliation.
- Over the years, FGM/C has been a regular practice in this ritual “Rite of passage”. #endcuttinggirls
- Countries such as Kenya and Tanzania have been involved in this practice over the years. #endcuttinggirls
- Alternative rite of passage was then introduced in 2004-2005 by various international organisations. #endcuttinggirls
- This has an integral role to play in the abandonment of FGM/C under the Children’s Act of 2001. #endcuttinggirls.
- And also the retraining of traditional circumcisers for alternative professions such as midwifery. #endcuttinggirls.
- Alternative rite of passage is rather called “Circumcision by words”. #endcuttinggirls
- The word circumcision was used because the Kenyans referred to mutilation/cutting as circumcision.
- In 2004, after so many years of campaigning, alternative rite of passage ( workshop classes) was held instead of the normal cutting/mutilation. #endcuttinggirls.
- 200 girls were brought together from the district of Kuria(Kenya) to attend workshops instead of being mutilated. #endcuttinggirls
- On their way home, however, most of those girls were mutilated on that same day fulfilling their rite of passage. #endcuttinggirls.
- This however, wasn’t discouraging as the “alternative rite of passage” has been in some countries like Kenya and Tanzania.
- In Kenya, maasai and Esiteteti (at the foot of Kilimanjaro) community has embraced this practice. #endcuttinggirls.
- In Tanzania, samburu community has also embraced this practice.
- Briefly, we will look at the experience shared from the practice in massai community of Kenya and its positive effects. #endcuttinggirls .
- And also lessons learnt from the samburu community in Tanzania. #endcuttinggirls
- In massai and samburu, classes are first held for the girls about their bodies and their rights as women then the celebration. #endcuttinggirls.
- The celebration however includes a mixture of milk and honey poured over the girl’s heads before dishes. #endcuttinggirls.
- The mixture is poured on them by the elders accompanied by blessings from the elders too. #endcuttinggirls.
- This is then tagged the “bath of milk and honey” rather than “Genital mutilation and cutting”.
- Songs and dances are then shared and the girls are left whole and uncut. #endcuttinggirls.
- Girls in the massai and samburu are taught on womanhood,sex education. #endcuttinggirls
- STDs, Violence against women and presentations on the importance of women’s Education.
- Peter N. Nguura of United for Body Rights said “To eradicate FGM/C, a public denouncement of the practice must be done. #endcuttinggirls.
- Also, the men will also accept to marry women who haven’t gone through the procedure. #endcuttinggirls.
- This is hence added in those communities during the alternative rite of passage ceremony. #endcuttinggirls.
- Jacinta Muteshi-Strachan,project director of the FGM/C research program for the population council said, #endcuttinggirls
- For Alternative rite of passage to replace FGM/C, the communities must be accepting.
- This including the chiefs, elders,fathers and mothers,even the traditional leaders. #endcuttinggirls
- The Kenyan- massai community experience took six or more meetings before a communityagress to abandon FGM. #endcuttinggirls.
- In some cases, a certificate is issued out to the girl child declaring they had completed the alternative rite of passage. #endcuttinggirls.
- An example of the certificate presentation was carried out in Esititeti community in August,2013. #endcuttinggirls.
- This ceremony has replaced the practice of FGM/C in these communities and can also be inculcated in countries where the practice of FGM/C is still in existence. #endcuttinggirls
- The experiences of the Kenyans and Tanzanians are worth emulating. #endcuttinggirls
- I will halt my tweets and allow questions from all of us. #endcuttinggirls.
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