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Female Genital Mutilation - FGM (AFR) Protagonist1 #11063 This practice is recognized, internationally, as a violation of the human rights of girls and women, highlights the inequality between the sexes, and the level of discrimination against women in some traditional societies. | |
+Citations (2) - CitationsAdd new citationList by: CiterankMapLink[2] SOMALIA: Hawo Nagash, "My biggest fear is that somebody will take my daughters and circumcise them"
Author: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Publication info: February 10, 2009 Cited by: Earl Burrowes, Sr. 2:21 PM 10 February 2009 GMT URL: | Excerpt / Summary "I had three daughters by my second husband. In 2002, I told my husband I was not prepared to have them circumcised, as is the tradition of all Somali families. When my husband's mother heard that, she complained and tried to force my husband to circumcise them when I was not around.
"My sisters also complained, saying it was going to bring more stigma to my family. When I refused, my mother-in-law forced her son to divorce me. He no longer comes to visit his daughters and gives us no support. He has a new wife.
"My decision is making life hard in the camp, but I will never go back on it. I have seen the terrible health problems that girls and women suffer who have been circumcised. There is terrible pain that often lasts a lifetime, and women have terrible problems giving birth.
"The type of FGM practised here is full infibulation at about five to seven years old. As a mother I could never do that to my children. I love them too much. The girls are often bullied in school and the younger twins, who are 11, have both been badly beaten. One suffers from partial deafness as the injury affected her eardrum. Children shout at them, saying they are dirty. |
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