As a part of the coalition supporting the ratification of the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa, Pambazuka News will profile various aspects of the protocol over the next six weeks. This week we will take a look at issues surrounding harmful practices against women, specifically, female genital mutilation, as related to the African continent. This is what the protocol states:

Article 5 – Elimination of Harmful Practices

“States Parties shall prohibit and condemn all forms of harmful practices which negatively affect the human rights of women and which are contrary to recognised international standards. States Parties shall take all necessary legislative and other measures to eliminate such practices, including:

b) prohibition, through legislative measures backed by sanctions, of all forms of female genital mutilation, scarification, medicalisation and para-medicalisation of female genital mutilation and all other practices in order to eradicate them…”

Female genital mutilation occurs around the world, most widely in Africa – where as many as 29 countries are known to be practicing it. Estimates range as to how many women have experienced the procedure, but figures are said to be around 78 million women who are affected.

With a practice as diverse as the cultures in which it occurs, female genital mutilation is a highly contested custom. The discourse surrounding female genital mutilation is polarized, with some arguing that the procedure is a cultural tradition and must be upheld in order for honor to be bestowed upon a woman and her family. Others, on the opposite side of the argument, contend that the procedure is in blatant disregard of basic human rights. The Protocol clearly takes the side of the latter argument.

It is extremely difficult to make generalizations about female genital mutilation, as the practices vary in different parts of Africa. The age at which it occurs is one such factor, as babies as young as a week old are sometimes subject to FGM, and sometimes grown women. Most girls undergo the procedure anytime between the ages of eight and fourteen.

Many different types of FGM exist, with the least common one being circumcision: cutting the hood of the clitoris. This is the mildest form of female genital mutilation. Excision involves the cutting of the clitoris and all or part of the labia minora, while infibulations means that the clitoris is cut along with the labia minor and most of the anterior part of the labia majora. Both sides of the vulva are then pinned together (with silk, catgut or thorns), leaving only a tiny opening preserved with the insertion of a small piece of wood or reed for the passage of urine and menstrual blood. The girl’s legs are then bound together to permit the formation of scar tissue. An intermediate form of this removes the clitoris and either part of or the entire labia majora. Generally, a female elder of the village, or a birth attendant performs FGM. Anesthetics are rarely, if ever used, and girls are held down by their mother or other female relatives. Traditional herb mixtures, earth and ashes are usually rubbed on the wound to stop bleeding. Conditions are generally very unsanitary, and the instruments are generally not sterilized. The consequences of this include chronic infection, pain during intercourse, menstruation and childbirth, as well as psychological trauma.

The Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa is making steps in the right direction with regards to FGM. It goes beyond simply calling for an end to the practice, but demands that countries criminalize the practice and prosecute those who perform it. It also puts in place the framework for providing counseling support and treatment to survivors of FGM. Furthermore, the Protocol calls for awareness raising campaigns, and also includes a mechanism to allow intervention into the prevention of FGM cases.

Beyond the Protocol, changes are being made on the African continent. In some Kenyan communities, for example, many women are practicing an alternative to female genital mutilation. Girls spend a week in enclosure, just as girls about to be circumcised do, but instead are taught about the harmful effects of FGM and are given information to combat local beliefs and superstitions surrounding the practice. These girls are taught about their bodies and about relationships with men, and are encouraged to go to school and make decisions pertinent to their lives. They are also provided with a mentor – an older woman from their community that they respect and can listen to their concerns. At the end of the week, the girls undergo a graduation ceremony and are reintroduced into their communities as women.

*Researched and written by Karoline Kemp, a Commonwealth of Learning Young Professional Intern

* For previous articles, please follow the links:

Trafficking in Women and Children -

Female Refugees -