EDITORIAL: Why Somali leaders must prioritize the fight against FGM

EDITORIAL: Somalia may have problems with insecurity and drought. But it appears there is another silent scourge eating at our society, known as Female Genital Mutilation.

This week, a disturbing detail emerged from Kismayu, Jubbaland where 20 girls underwent female genital mutilation. According to a statement by the UN Sexual and Reproductive Health agency (UNFPA) in Somalia, the girls, all too young to give consent on their bodies were gathered and had their genitalia cut.

Somalia has been known for decades for this unwanted practice. In fact, UNFPA’s figures paint a picture where nearly all women born here have been cut in one form or another. It shows that 98 percent of women and girls in Somalia have undergone FGM. FGM may be a revered age-old cultural practice in Somalia. But study after study has shown little benefit to the women involved. Instead, the dangers include possible physical disability, bleeding that could lead to death, and a life full of pain, especially during childbirth.

This is why our political leaders must take on this as a matter of priority. Somalia remains one of the few countries in our region without a law banning FGM. The reasons may be cultural and politicians may certainly be afraid of losing constituencies trying to step on people’s cultural rights. Equally speaking, however, a society that exposes its women to danger in the name of culture remains grounded in poverty.

We must cultivate an environment where both men and women are given equal opportunity, culture notwithstanding. Certainly, FGM is a drag on that bid for equality. Some federal states like Puntland had earlier drafted laws to ban this practice, but political will overall has not been sufficient to take this practice head-on.

Of course, legal measures alone may not work, as seen in countries such as Kenya where communities deep into the practice adopted new measures including hiding the practices to avoid getting caught. It will take a stringent public awareness campaign to convert communities and make them see that rites of passage can be safer for both men and women.

That campaign should be led by political leaders and cultural heads. Earlier this year, UNFPA launched a campaign encouraging parents to make a personal vow at protecting their girls. The campaign could work if politicians lead from the front. The cost of FGM has never been tabulated by the government in Somalia. But it may be worse than the security challenges we face as it hurts nearly half of the population.

Incidents like those in Kismayu are a certain indictment on authorities in Jubbaland, and Somalia as a whole. But they may hopefully use this to draft a policy of ensuring no girls are cut again. A society that enjoys seeing others getting hurt is only rudimentary.

Somalia and its leaders must be prepared to create an environment that is safe for all. It will take the personal conviction of the leaders, and the communal effort to end the scourge. The ball is certainly in the politicians’ court.

GAROWE ONLINE