Female circumcision is no different from other forms of violence against women
(Originally posted by BEYONDHIJABSG on 5 FEBRUARY, 2016. Republished here with permission.) Country: Singapore Community: Malay By: Filzah Sumartono So I was talking to my friend the other day and I brought up the issue of sunat perempuan or female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). And my friend seemed pretty nonchalant about it. […]
‘I am relieved more parents are saying no to female circumcision’
(Originally posted by BEYONDHIJABSG on 5 FEBRUARY, 2016. Republished here with permission.) Country: Singapore Community: Malay By: Zuby Eusofe I was six years old when I was forced to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM) aka sunat perempuan. I was in a deep sleep and all of a sudden, I felt a […]
FGM/C from an artist’s perspective: Art for cultural change
By OwantoHow can art promote change? How can it transform the lives of millions of young women and girls?Art offers another platform to increase visibility and raise awareness about this global issue. More than 200 million girls and women alive today have been cut in 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. In the […]
I will not let my younger daughter be cut, says a Bohra father
By: Hozefa Anik Age: 40 Country: India The first time I heard about khatna was some 15-16 years ago, when I was working in Doha, Qatar. I was told that it is a practice prevalent in parts of Egypt, mainly in the villages located in the Nile river basin. The soil of the basin was supposed […]
One Woman’s Reactions to Bakersfield’s Resolution against Khatna (FGC)
By: Anonymous Country: United States Age: In her 30s When the public resolution on khatna (female circumcision) from the Bakersfield Jamaat (community) was released shortly after the Sydney case, an old weight was lifted from me. There. They’ve finally said it. Do not do this. As I followed the events leading to […]
I’m A Survivor of Female Genital Cutting and I’m Speaking Out – As Others Must Too
(This story originally appeared on the Guardian.com on February 8, 2016 and reappeared on the U.S. State Department’s official blog on June 1, 2016. It is republished here with permission). By Maryum Saifee I was sitting in an anthropology seminar at the University of Texas cramming for a final, only half-listening to a fellow classmate […]
A Short Film on FGCThe Good Girl- Written and Directed by Insia Dariwala
Arva was a young girl who just wanted to go to the park and enjoy a beautiful, bright morning with her aunt. Instead, she was taken to a dark room, her legs spread apart and her voice smothered, while a sharp razor cut off the ‘sinful’ part between her legs. Arva was only seven. Today, […]