I have been thinking, since I
became aware of female genital mutilation, whether men should be involved in
the campaign to end it? The answer is YES.
From time back women in many societies
have done things to please both physically and mentally.
In Africa
for example, society has always expected women to go to extraordinary lengths
in order to please men. Women were often prepared for marriage at a tender age.
Girls were taught to cook for their men, run a house and make sure things ran
smoothly when they were married. Don’t get me wrong! Men were also subjected to
various forms of initiation but never as physically rigorous. While men came
out of these initiations looking strong and ready to start a family, young
girls who had gone through FGM emerged as mentally weak, timid shadows of their
former selves.
In some cultures girls were
expected to develop their clitoris. This happened between the age of seven and the start of menstruation. It was supposed to be a daily routine
for the purpose of enhancing the sexual pleasure of future husbands.
The mutilation of the clitoris
again has its origins in male gratification. In societies where FGM is
practised ,women are not expected to enjoy sex as much hence the deliberate and
brutal arrest of their sexual desires. Not men! In such cultures men are
allowed as many wives as they can get. I think it’s time for good men to get involved.
They can make huge strides , merely by
accepting that this procedure is neither acceptable nor necessary. At the
moment all I see is women making the effort. It would be so much more effective if men stood
up and joined the quest to end this horrific practise. No man in his right
frame of mind could fail to see how painful this procedure is.
As a brother, father and son, just
take a moment to think about the physical and mental consequences of FGM.
Written by Abigal Muchecheti,
Author of Married to a devil and soon to be released ‘A Lost Youth’- a book on
Female Genital Mutilation.