Is civilization against African Culture?
She grabbed a new razorblade from my hand, flash me with a handful of finger millet flour and cut me! It was over and I became the woman I am . Recalls Mrs Rhobi Wambura (51) of Tarime district Tanzania one of the loud opposes to he government campaign against female circumcision.
Traditionally, female circumcision (Genital multination) was and is still widely practiced among the African communities, though many government and NGOs (Non Governmental Organizations) have launched a thorough campaign against the exercise as inhuman.
Some tribes hold it completely as an important part of their culture and would never let it go. The African only does not only practice Interestingly, this exercise, but Arabs and even the civilized western countries also exercise it. In western Africa and the countries like Djibout, Somali, Tanzania, Sudan and Kenya here up between 10 - 95 percent women circumcised.
So according to gender activists; the issue is so serious that it need to be addressed by the government concerned in order to eradicate it completely among the people. They consider it an infringement to human rights.
The gender activists and according to new civilization, there are medical ramifications as a result of the practice.
-The circumciser lacks medical know who, hence carrying the operation under conditions that are not sterile (Going all around without wearing gloves and using the same knife or razorblade) exposes the candidates to the danger of contracting HIV/AIDS.
-Sometimes the operation results into serious loss of blood, in some cases, leading to death (the corpse is not buried but thrown into a forest at night as a bad
women)
Sex as sex occupies an important part of lives and it would be wrong for anyone to deprive the other people of it when some important part of the anatomy is excised during circumcision then, this is denial of human rights.
Regarding the extreme kind, its even worse this part of the body is severely damaged and is subjected to latter mutilations during intercourse and childbirth.
But opposes like Mrs. Wambura, view it as an integral part of their culture and so cannot be done away with, despite of its bad results.
No woman can be married and considered complete woman without being circumcised. She stresses. The women who abscond are considered out casts and this makes them to feel inadequate as women in the community.
Maasai and Kurya of Tanzania and Kenya, Kisii and Samburu of Kenya and Nyiramba of Tanzania are some of the notorious tribes in this regard. There are up to 30 small tribes exercising circumcision in this part of African (East and horn of Africa). They do even in hiding (without ceremony and nurse it their candidates secretly.)
This group of uncivilized (as known by the civilized elite) argues that the exercise can carry in the sterile and advanced manner rather than stopping their dear culture, which have solid advantages.
As far as some countries are concerned, there is law enforcement and some western sponsored NGOs launched to educate the people so as to discard the practice.
Law enforcement is not the best approach for the decade old custom and while some NGOs lack funds to reach remote areas, my people love their culture dearly.
About the Author
FREELANCE JOURNALIST, DISTRICT POLITICAL PARTY SECRETARY AND AFRICAN CULTURAL ADVOCATE
Written by: OSORO P. J. NYAWANGAH
