Coronavirus has weakened current attempts to eradicate FGM practices in Africa, though work is still continuing to diminish its impact and prevalence.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a practice recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women.
In Africa, the practice remains common, despite being criminalized in many countries. The pandemic has also thwarted efforts to curb cases of FGM and crack down on illegal practices across the continent.
It is estimated over 30 countries continue to practice FGM for a variety of cultural reasons, with many regrading it as a ‘traditional ritual’.
Different ethnic regions carry out the procedure in a variety of ways. Some begin operating on girls from the age of six, others at birth, and some before marriage. Despite global and regional insistence to eradicate the practice via new laws and forceful intervention, FGM is deeply rooted in some cultural traditions, making it difficult to truly halt.
Countries such as Djibouti, Egypt, Somalia, Guinea, and Mali have the highest rates of FGM in Africa. It’s estimated that over 90% of women aged 15 to 49 have undergone the cut in these countries, according to UNICEF data.
Restrictions introduced as a result of Covid-19 have led to many African communities continuing to undergo FGM treatments despite the international pressure to stop, with cases actually rising in some areas.
Lockdowns and social distancing has forced school closures across Mali, for example, meaning many young girls are without proper education or social interaction. Kenya in particular has also seen a high rise in FGM practices as a direct result of similar closures.
According to the anti-FGM board of Kenya, the pandemic has meant that many girls are isolated from their support systems, as schools often provide safety nets for girls to report cases. With facilities being shut for 10 months or more in an effort to slow the spread of Covid-19, cases have steadily increased.
The number of girls returning to schools once they reopen has dropped dramatically in both areas too, meaning the risk of FGM is now permanently higher.
Mali’s government is currently being challenged by rights groups in court over failing to outlaw female genital mutilation. One such case was filed by the organisation Equality Now, who has been campaigning for anti-FGM laws for years without success.
A similar situation is unfolding in countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, and the Ivory Coast. Health care resources are more limited than usual in order to cope with the pandemic, leaving fewer spots available in protective institutions for victims of FGM. Authorities have raised concerns within these countries – but only limited action can be taken to curb the increase in FGM cases.
FGM leading to early marriages and exiting poverty
For many communities practicing FGM, it is seen as a means to be accepted for marriage.
Millions of girls are threatened by early marriages after going through FGM in Africa. Child marriage is a globally recognized violation of child rights and is prohibited by law.
Though FGM and child marriage have both existed for generations, they devalue girls and are extremely predatory. Both practices share certain characteristics with one another, often taking place in areas with low levels of education, rural residence, and within poorer households.
Families who marry off their children tend to be rewarded through heavy dowry, reducing overall levels of poverty for the parents and extended relatives.
Most ethnic communities practicing FGM view young girls as a way to acquire wealth, rather than as individuals that should be cared and offered a decent education.
Efforts made to curb the FGM situation
According to the UNFPA, most countries have passed laws against FGM.
In Africa, approximately 26 countries have laws prohibiting the practice, with some parts of West Africa finally beginning to show an interest in banning FGM as a result of prior epidemics.
During the Ebola outbreak, governments set up decentralized telephone hotlines for girls and women at risk. This helped to shut down many cases of FGM that would have gone unnoticed otherwise.
Additionally, various communities now educate children on the practice of FGM, detailing its side effects to the health and self-esteem of young women.
In Kenya, the government hopes to end FGM by 2022. This may seem unachievable now due to Covid-19 forcing a shift in priorities for officials, but northern Kenya has shown that change is still possible.
A number of girls have been rescued from the practice and are recovering in newly built, safe rescue centers, a sign that things are heading in the right direction.
The belief in FGM as a necessity remains in deeper rural regions still, however, often being performed in private or secretly. Various campaigns by human rights activists have educated locals in these places and some have shunned the practice as a direct result.
In Egypt, the government toughened the law banning FGM by imposing a jail term of up to 20 years as part of its efforts to stamp it out. Any doctors or medical staff involved in FGM can also be banned from their profession for a period of up to 5 years.
Though these kinds of measures have been put in place, eliminating FGM in Egypt is regarded as nearly impossible by many human rights organisations. This is because it remains a widely accepted practice across the country.
In Djibouti, the government has adopted, signed, and ratified several laws to eradicate FGM.
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and the Additional Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights on the Rights of Women (Maputo Protocol).
The main objective of this strategy was to promote the total abandonment of FGM by respecting physical integrity and promoting the health of women and girls. This has been backed by UNFPA who has supported Djibouti by establishing a mobile anti-FGM brigade.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic causing disruptions in prevention programs, U.N. health officials fear an additional 2 million cases of FGM will surface by 2030.
The pandemic has no doubt slowed progress, but work continues to try and diminish the impact and widespread adoption of FGM across Africa – regardless of the obstacles.
I’m Derrick (He/Him), a Journalism and Mass Communication graduate from the Technical University of Mombasa, Kenya. Currently I write about trending topics and major issues affecting Africa for Thred, specifically concerning SDGs. View my Twitter here if you’d like to send me feedback.
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