Female Genital Mutilation Now Stark Reality in America

FGM Invades the West

Currently there are an estimated 140 million victims worldwide, including in some places that are not predominanly Muslim or Arabic, such as Canada, Western Europe and America.

An astounding half a million girls and women in the United States have either undergone female genital mutilation or are at risk of having it done to them.

Many live in New York City, New Jersey and other places with immigrant populations from countries where “cutting,” as it’s called, is commonly practiced.

Recently, FGM survivors marched at the U.S. Capitol to raise awareness, including Frances Cole, who described her experience.

“I was 11 years old at the time, and I was told that we, my sister and I — she was 13 at the time — we were told that we were going somewhere to be made into women,” she recalled.

FGM survivor Mariam Bojang, who also marched on Washington, found it difficult to describe the torturous event.

“The experience of FGM is, oh my, I don’t even think there is a word on earth I can describe it with. It’s cruel, gruesome, no one on earth, I wouldn’t even wish it on my enemy, that’s how gruesome it is.”

Congress passed legislation making it illegal to perform female genital mutilation in the United States and making it a crime to take girls out of the country to do it, a practice known as “vacation cutting.” Twenty-four states have enacted similar legislation.

Taking Action

Shelby Quast is the director of the America’s Office of Equality Now, an organization working for the protection and promotion of the human rights of women and girls around the world that is dedicated to ending female genital mutilation in a generation.

She says people who suspect FGM or have evidence of it need to take action.

“Counselors, teachers, the medical community, police, whoever really are front-line professionals that might engage with girls who are at risk – they have a responsibility to report this as a form of violence against children,” she said.

She says there are a number of reasons FGM is performed.

“Many of those are based in patriarchy, based in controlling their sexuality,” Quast explained. “A lot of it’s for myths, mythical reasons, myths that her body parts might grow to represent a man’s if they’re not cut off.”

Other reasons include the belief that female genitalia are dirty and ugly and a prerequisite for marriage.

Breaking Their Silence

Discussing female genital mutilation is generally taboo, although courageous victims speaking out, like Frances Cole, could become powerful agents of change.

“So I just hope that other women who’ve gone through female genital mutilation speak up,” she said. “Nothing’s going to happen to you. Even though I’ve been told I’ll be stoned to death, I’m still not afraid to talk.”

Bojang says that victims speaking openly about their ordeal promotes healing.

“I had scary nightmares, like of people chasing me and then kidnapping me to do something to me,” she recalled. “But once I started talking about it, you know… I was one of these people who would crawl up in their own little corner and not talk to anyone, but look at me today. I’m brave enough to stand here and talk to the whole world.”

Victims of female genital mutilation should know there are treatments to repair some of the damage to their bodies. Gynecological surgeon Dr. Marci Bowers is one of the few physicians performing them.

“Surgical treatment, defibulation, or removal of the scar tissue is important, especially when it comes to pain and where it comes to blocking outflow and allowing childbirth,” she explained.

“But also the newly minted surgical procedures that are proven to work are to restore sexual function,” she added.

While these treatments will improve a woman’s quality of life, the hope is that one day soon they won’t be necessary — in the United States or any place else in the world.