To ban or medicalise? Sri Lanka grapples with debates on Female Genital Cutting
(Please note that a version of this article appears on LankaWeb.com. It has been republished here with permission from the author.) By Fatima Yasmin Country: Sri Lanka Muslim religious organisations in Sri Lanka have called on the government to medicalise female circumcision to ensure the procedure is done under hygienic conditions. In their submission before the Parliamentary Committee on Women and Gender early in September, the Muslim groups stated that the Muslim community was very concerned about moves to ban the procedure on the grounds that it was Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Spokeswoman Noor Hazeema Haris has reportedly said that although Muslims wholeheartedly have supported the abolition of traditional practices harmful to women and children such as Female Genital Mutilation, the Islamic practice of female circumcision was very different. She pointed out that the distinction is that female circumcision as practiced by Muslims in Sri Lanka, was a minor procedure, in which only the prepuce or hood of the clitoris was removed. “It is something that is arranged and done by women. Those who say this is male oppression against women are mistaken. It is we who do it just like our mothers and grandmothers and countless generations of our women have done. We continue to practice it because we know it benefits us. Even educated Muslim women support it wholeheartedly,” she said. “If medical complications have arisen among some women circumcised by Osthamamis (traditional female circumcisors without medical training) as alleged by women’s rights groups, it is all the more reason to medicalise the procedure instead of prohibiting it, which will only drive the procedure underground and put girls and women at unnecessary risk.” The move is a very dangerous one since it could lead to greater acceptability of FGM. There have been many complaints raised against traditional practitioners including the use of unsterile instruments and harming the clitoris in some cases. However, I believe the solution is to ban it altogether rather than medicalising it. But analysts warn this could lead to an uproar from religious parties and have political implications since parties that come out against FGM risk losing a large and influential Muslim vote bank. The All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama, an organization of religious scholars in the country issued a fatwa in 2008 stating that female circumcision was obligatory, and was among the parties that made representations to medicalise the practice early in September. It is also a matter of concern to women’s rights groups that the said Parliamentary committee agreed to accommodate the representations and requested that medical evidence is submitted to prove that female circumcision of the type prescribed in Islam, as stated by these religious groups, causes no harm and benefits women. A female doctor who performed the procedure before a health ministry circular prohibiting medical professionals from performing it came into effect in the country in October, and whose name has been withheld here by her request, said that she welcomed the move to medicalise it: “I performed about 25 circumcisions a day in a private clinic, mostly infants. But there were women, too. Some were newly married and wanted to be circumcised at their husbands’ request. All I do is remove a little bit of skin covering the clitoris. I use a very fine instrument for the babies. It takes only a few minutes. In the case of adults, I inject an anesthetic before proceeding to circumcise them. My patients tell me it’s only the injection that hurts a bit and that after that they don’t feel a thing. It’s sore for a few days but heals fast. There is a huge demand for this service. It’s a shame that it’s now going back into the hands of untrained women who have no proper medical knowledge and who use unsterilized instruments for the purpose.” A young mother who had her infant daughter cut by a traditional practitioner also agreed. “Doctors refuse to do this now, and I was forced to get it done by an Osthamami. She took out a blade which looked as if it had been used many times and made a cut to my daughter’s genitals. Some blood came out. I could not bear to look. Later I checked it and noticed a cut had been made in the skin over the clitoris but the foreskin had not been removed. This is an improper circumcision according to my sister who is an Aalimah (religious scholar) and so I will have to get her circumcised again. Why are these so-called women’s groups against doctors doing it? We will practice it whether they ban it or not.” However, a member of a prominent women’s organization said that prohibiting the practice is the right thing to do. “FGM has been condemned as a violation of the rights of women and girl children by the World Health Organisation. WHO makes no distinction between FGM and the type of circumcision practiced here. It’s all the same. How can you cut these girls and call it a religious obligation? I understand there is a strong religious argument for the practice, but we cannot let religion affect the health of girls and women.” And so the debate goes on – to ban or medicalise. One thing is for sure. It won’t be easy. Not only does the religious establishment in Sri Lanka, unfortunately, support the practice, but many local women are for continuing it, meaning the government and activists working to end FGM will face many challenges ahead before FGM can be abandoned in Sri Lanka.
ફિમેલ જેનિટલ કટિંગનો અંત કરવાના આપણા લક્ષ્યમાં આપણે ડેટ્રોઈટના ડૉક્ટરને બદનામ કરવા નથી
આ આર્ટિકલ પહેલા સહિયો દ્વારા તારીખ 24 એપ્રિલ 2017ના રોજ અંગ્રેજીમાં પ્રકાશિત કરવામાં આવ્યો હતો. Read the English version here. લેખક: અનામી દેશ : અમેરિકાઉંમર : 34 મારા સાતમાં જન્મદિવસ પછી તુરત જ હું મારી દાદીને મળવા ન્યૂયોર્ક ગઈ. મારી માંએ મને કહ્યું કે આ એક ખાસ મુલાકાત બની જશે અને મારી સાથે એક “મહત્વની પ્રક્રિયા” કરવાની હતી. મને કેહવામાં આવ્યું કે “દરેક દીકરી સાત વર્ષની થાય ત્યારે તેણી પર આ પ્રક્રિયા કરવાની હોય છે” જેમ, મારા પહેલા મારી મોટી બહેને કરાવી હતી તેમ. મારી માંએ કહ્યું કે હું જ્યારે મોટી થાવ ત્યારે મારા “સુખી લગ્ન જીવન” માટે આ પ્રક્રિયા કરવામાં આવે છે. સાત વર્ષની ઉંમરે આ સફાઈ મારા માટે સંતોષપૂર્ણ હતી. આ સફાઈને મેં સર્વસામાન્ય માની અને એવું માની લીધું કે બધા ધર્મો અને સંસ્કૃતિઓના બૈરાઓમાં આવી પ્રક્રિયા કરવાનો રીવાજ હશે. ત્યારે મને એ વાતનો ખ્યાલ નહોતો કે એ દિવસ ઘણી બધી રીતે મારી જીંદગીને બદલી નાખશે. એ પ્રક્રિયાથી મને ઈજા થઈ. સ્વાભાવિક રીતે જ, આ પ્રક્રિયા અમારા સમાજની મેડિકલ ટ્રેનિંગ લીધા વિના ની એક વૃદ્ધ બૈરી દ્વારા બેસમેન્ટ ફ્લોર પર બેદરકારીપૂર્વક કરવામાં આવી હતી. પંરતુ, તે દિવસે મને એવો મેસેજ આપવામાં આવ્યો કે “આના કારણે તારૂં લગ્ન જીવન સુખી થશે” અને ત્યારબાદ મારા સંપૂર્ણ જીવન દરમિયાન મને એવા મેસેજો આપવામાં આવ્યા કે “બૈરી તેની ઉત્તેજનાને નિયંત્રણમાં રાખી શકે એટલા માટે આ પ્રક્રિયા કરવામાં આવે છે”, “તમે તામારા પતિ પ્રત્યે વફાદાર રહો તેની ખાતરી માટે આવી પ્રક્રિયા કરવામાં આવે છે”, “બૈરાઓએ તેમના પતિઓને ખુશ રાખવા જરૂરી છે”. ખરેખર, આવા મેસેજોએ સૌથી વધુ માનસિક ત્રાસ આપ્યો. આવા મેસેજો ને કારણે હું એવું જીવન જીવી જેમાં, હું મને મારા જીવનસાથી સામે નીચલા દરજ્જાની મહેસુસ કરતી હતી અને આવું જ મેં મારી કુદરતી ઉત્તેજનાઓ/લાગણીઓ પ્રત્યે પણ મહેસુસ કર્યું. જેમ હું મોટી થઈ તેમ મને સમજાયું કે એ દિવસની મારાપર કેવી અસર પડી, હું અસ્વસ્થ અને ખૂબ જ ગુસ્સે થઈ ગઈ. મને જે પ્રક્રિયા કરવા માટે ફરજ પાડવામાં આવી એ બાબતને લઈ હું ખૂબ જ ગુસ્સા માં હતી અને સતત વિચાર કરતી કે જો એ દિવસ મારી જીંદગીમાં ક્યારેય ના આવ્યો હોત તો કેટલુ સારૂં હોત. બેશક, આ પ્રક્રિયા હેઠળથી પસાર થવું પડશે તેવી અન્ય નાનકડી દીકરીઓનો જ્યારે હું વિચાર કરું છું ત્યારે મારૂં મન ગુસ્સો, દુઃખ અને અસહાયતાની લાગણીથી ભરાઈ જાય છે. મેં આશા રાખી કે આપણા સમાજના લોકો, નિર્દોષ દીકરીઓને આ પ્રથાનો ભોગ બનતા અટકાવશે. મેં આશા રાખી કે લોકો જાગશે અને મહેસુસ કરશે કે તેઓ દીકરીના જીવનને સુખી નહિં પરંતુ વધારે દુખી બનાવી રહ્યાં છે. તેઓ મેહસુસ કરશે કે આ પ્રથા અપનાવી તેમણે કોઈ સારૂં કાર્ય કર્યું નથી. થોડા દિવસો પહેલા, ડેટ્રોઈટની એક મહિલા ડૉક્ટરના સમાચાર આવ્યા, જેના પર ગેરકાયદેસર રીતે બે જુવાન દીકરીઓ પર એફ.જી.એમ. ની પ્રક્રિયા કરવાનો આરોપ લગાવવામાં આવ્યો છે. આ પ્રથાનો વિરોધ કરતા અન્ય લોકોની જેમ, મારી પણ પહેલી પ્રતિક્રિયા “ન્યાય મળ્યો” એવી હતી. અંતે આ પ્રથા માટે કોઈને તો જવાબદાર માનવામાં આવ્યા હતા. આ એક ગંભીર સમસ્યા છે, એ બાબતથી ફક્ત વિદેશોના જ નહિં પરંતુ કદાચ અહીં અમેરિકાના લોકો પણ માહિતગાર થશે. મેં એમ પણ વિચાર્યું કે જે લોકો એફ.સી.જી.ની પ્રક્રિયા કરાવવાનું વિચારી રહ્યાં છે તેવા લોકોમાં આ કેસને કારણે ડર પેદા થશે. આ સમાચાર પરની લોકોની પ્રતિક્રિયા જોઈ મારૂં સમર્થન નિરાશામાં પરિવર્તિત થઈ ગયું. લોકો કઠોરતાપૂર્વક આ પ્રથા અને ઈસ્લામનો વિરોધ કરવા લાગ્યા, લોકોએ આ ડૉક્ટરને એક ક્રૂર નિર્દય સેક્સ્યૂઅલ પ્રિડેટર તરીકે બદનામ કરવા લાગ્યા. પરંતુ, મને તેણીમાં એવુ કંઈ દેખાયુ નહિં. મને તેણી, મારી માં, માસી અથવા દાદીમાં જેવી ફ્કત એક સામાન્ય બૈરી દેખાઈ. એક બૈરી, એક માંને, જે બાબત શ્રેષ્ઠ લાગી રહી હતી તે કરવાનો પ્રયત્ન કરી રહી હતી. મારી માં મને નુક્શાન પહોંચાડવાના ખરાબ ઈરાદા સાથે મને આ પ્રક્રિયા કરાવવા માટે નહોતી લઈ ગઈ. જે રીતે આપણે આપણા બચ્ચાઓને રસી મુકાવવા, જરૂરી શસ્ત્રક્રિયા કરાવવા અથવા છોકરાની સુન્નત કરાવવા લઈ જઈએ છીએ, તેવા ઈરાદા સાથે તેણી મને આ પ્રક્રિયા કરાવવા લઈ ગઈ હતી. આપણા બચ્ચાઓપર કોઈપણ પીડાકરક પ્રક્રિયા કરવામાં આવે તેનું આપણને દુઃખ થાય છે પરંતુ, એ તેમના સારા માટે કરવામાં આવતુ હોવાનું માની આપણે આવુ કાર્ય કરીએ છીએ. આપણે આપણા તબીબી વ્યાવસાયિકોના માર્ગદર્શન પર વિશ્વાસ મુકીએ છીએ કારણ કે, તે ક્ષેત્રના નિષ્ણાત રૂપે તેમનું સન્માન અને વિશ્વાસ કરવામાં આવે છે. તેજ રીતે, બોહરા સમાજના લોકો – ખાસ કરી સાથે રહેતા એક સમાન આસ્થાવાળા લોકો – તેમના ધાર્મિક આગેવાનોના માર્ગદર્શન પર વિશ્વાસ મુકે છે. તેમની દુનિયામાં, આવા આગેવાનોને વિશ્વાસપાત્ર “નિષ્ણાતો” તરીકે સ્વીકારવામાં આવે છે, જે આપણા દરેક ઈન્સાન માટે શું શ્રેષ્ઠ છે તે જાણે છે. તેમના માટે, આવા આગેવાનો દ્વારા નક્કી કરવામાં આવેલા પવિત્ર નિયમો તબીબી સમુદાયો અથવા રાજકારણીઓ દ્વારા નિર્ધારીત ધોરણોથી ઉપર હોય છે. તેથી હું જ્યારે આ મહિલા ડૉક્ટરને જોઉં છું ત્યારે મને તેણીમાં ખલનાયિકા નહિં પરંતુ એક વિક્ટિમ દેખાય છે. મારા પોતાના જેવી એક વિક્ટિમ, જેણે નાનપણમાં ગેરકાયદેસર રીતે આ પ્રક્રિયા કરાવી છે. એવી બૈરી જેનો ભૂતકાળમાં શારિરીક ગેર ઉપયોગ કરવામાં આવ્યો એટલું જ નહિં પરંતુ, સારા ઈરાદા સાથે પ્રક્રિયા કરવા માટે આજે પણ તેણીને માનસિક ત્રાસ આપવામાં આવી રહ્યો છે. તેણીએ કરેલા કાર્યમાટે હું તેણીને સંપૂર્ણપણે દોષમુક્ત નથી કરતી પરંતુ, જો દરેક ઈન્સાને તેમના કાર્યોની જવાબદારી લીધી હોત તો તેણીએ કદાચ આવું કાર્ય ના કર્યું હોત. હું ફક્ત તેણીનો પક્ષ રાખવાનો પ્રયત્ન કરી રહી છું, તેણીની દ્રષ્ટિથી જોઈએ તો એમ લાગે છે કે કદાચ તેણી પાસે અન્ય કોઈ ચોઈસ નહોતી. તેથી, તેણીને ખલનાયિકા બનાવી અને દંડ આપી તમે બીજા થોડા ડૉક્ટરોને આવી પ્રક્રિયા ના કરવા માટે ડરાવી શકો. તેમના બચ્ચાઓ પર આવી પ્રક્રિયા ના કરાવવા માટે તમે અન્ય થોડી માંઓને રોકી શકો છો પંરતુ, તેણીને દંડ આપવાથી, દુરૂપયોગ કરતા લોકોને દંડ મળશે નહિં. જ્યાંસુધી આ મરદ આગેવાનો આવી પ્રથાનું સમર્થન કરતા રહેશે અને તેમના ધાર્મિક ઉપદેશનું મહત્વ જાળવી રાખશે ત્યાંસુધી સમર્થકો તેમના આદરણીય આગેવાનોના માર્ગદર્શનને અનુસરતા રહેશે. મને વધારે ડર એ બાબતનો છે કે આપણા સમાજ માંથી એફ.જી.સી.ના સમર્થનમાં આવતા સતત મેસેજની સાથે-સાથે આ જાહેર કેસ, આ પ્રથાને છૂપી રીતે વધારે અનુસરવા તરફ લઈ જશે. તેથી, ડૉક્ટરોના સ્વચ્છ ક્લિનીકોમાં કલાકો સુધી ગેરકાયદેસર પ્રક્રિયા કરવાના બદલે, મારી સાથે થયુ તેમ, આપણી દીકરીઓ પર ગંદા અને ઠંડા બેસમેન્ટ ફ્લોર પર આ પ્રક્રિયા કરવામાં આવશે.
Medical organisations in five African nations issue statement against the medicalisation of FGM/C
A group of prominent medical bodies from five African nations have issued public statements in support of all programmes to end the practice of Female Genital Cutting and combat the medicalisation of the ritual. The statement was issued in the last week of September by the National Midwives Associations of Sudan and Djibouti, and representatives of several National Doctors Syndicates, Medical Councils and Associations from Egypt, Sudan, Yemen and Somalia. These medical organisations issued the statement at Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt, at a meeting on ‘The Role of Health-care Professionals in Combatting Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the Arab region’. The doctors and midwives expressed concerns about the growing medicalisation of FGM/C, a trend in which the procedure is increasingly being performed by medical practitioners in a clinical setting, rather than by untrained, traditional cutters. While medicalised FGM/C is believed to be more hygienic and less risky, it also promotes the false belief that the procedure is medically beneficial or acceptable. In their statement, the medical organisations recognise the dangers of such medicalisation, the social and psychological impacts of FGM/C, and the fact that it is a violation of the rights of women and girls. In keeping with the ethics of medical practice, the statement pledges support to all national programs working to eradicate FGM/C. It also urges all governmental and non-governmental organizations to incorporate in their plans and programmes efforts to decrease the medicalisation of FGM/C. Through this statement, the organisations have pledged to: Participate in community awareness programmes in order to raise awareness about the medical and social consequences of FGC. Make this information available in the mainstream, through continuous midwifery education programs for physicians, in order to prevent them from performing FGC and also engage with the community to raise awareness about it. Train midwives about laws and legislations against FGC and its medicalisation. Support the issuance of laws and make recommendations to the concerned authorities to penalize any healthcare professionals in their organisations if they are found to have performed FGC. The penalty could include cancellation of their licence to practice. Act as instrumental partners to all national and regional organisations, to share experiences and good practices in this work. The organisations that have endorsed this statement include the Egyptian Doctors Syndicate, the Sudanese Medical Council and OBGYN Association, the Yemeni Health Office for Al-Hudydah and Health Office for Hadramout, the Somali Medical Association of the Federal Government of Somalia, the Association of Midwives of Djibouti and the Midwives Association of Sudan. The public statement to end medicalization of FGC by various organizations and discussions and suggestions drawn at the meeting to reduce it will also play a role model for other countries to incorporate such programs in their own countries. In India, the national medical community has not given much attention to the prevalence and practice of FGC among some communities. In August, after a Sahiyo investigative report that found FGC being practiced by some Sunni Muslim sects of Kerala, the state’s health minister ordered a probe into the matter and promised to take action against those found practicing FGC. The Kerala chapter of the Indian Medical Association also issued a press release taking a strong stance against FGC. The Association described the practice as “unscientific and against medical ethics”. Earlier, in June, the national president of the Indian Medical Association told the Times of India that the IMA condemns the practice of FGC in all its forms, and would probe into any complaints of doctors promoting FGC. However, Indian medical bodies are yet to make an official statement about FGC and its medicalisation, and Sahiyo urges the Indian medical sector to take a stand on FGC as soon as possible.
Female Genital Cutting is being practiced in Kerala too: Sahiyo investigation
by Aarefa Johari and Aysha Mahmood (Read the Malayalam version of this report here.) The practice of Female Genital Cutting (FGC) in India has so far been associated only with the Dawoodi Bohra community and other smaller Bohra sub-sects. However, a recent investigation by Sahiyo found that FGC – the ritual of cutting parts of the female genitalia – is also being practiced by some other communities in at least one part of Kerala. During an investigation in February, Sahiyo found a medical clinic in Kozhikode (Calicut) where two doctors admitted that they perform the procedure of “sunnath”, or circumcision, on both boys and girls. They claimed that women from several local Muslim sects are increasingly coming to their clinic to have sunnath performed for themselves, their daughters and even their daughters-in-law. The doctors said that in the female circumcision ritual, they cut the prepuce of the clitoris, also known as the clitoral hood, because it is allegedly “good for married life”. They also mentioned that “some husbands insist on it”. The doctors claimed that this ritual is also practiced in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Africa, but denied that it could be harmful. However, the sunnath ritual described by the Kozhikode doctors falls within the World Health Organisation’s definition of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C), which is internationally recognised as a violation of human rights and a form of discrimination against women. WHO defines FGM/C as “all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons”. WHO has classified FGM/C into four types, based on degrees of severity. The least severe – and most common – is Type 1, which involves partial or total removal of the clitoris or the clitoral hood. (Read about the other Types of FGM/C here.) Female Genital Cutting in Kerala Sahiyo’s investigation in Kerala was based on a tip-off from a resident of the state who had come across discussions about sunnath on females in some online Malayalam forums. The resident claimed that the practice is typically performed by an “ozathy” or a traditional cutter without medical training, but is also being done by some doctors in the Malabar region. When Sahiyo spoke to gynaecologists in prominent hospitals in Kozhikode and Malapuram, they stated they were unaware of the practice and were firmly opposed to it. However, one small clinic in Kozhikode, run by a doctor known for performing male circumcisions, candidly admitted practicing sunnath on girls as well. For the investigation, the Sahiyo reporter posed as woman who needed to make inquiries about female sunnath because her fiancé’s mother wanted her to be circumcised before marriage. When asked if she performs female sunnath, the lady doctor at the clinic said, “yes, we do it”. She said that the practice involved “cutting the foreskin of the clitoris” to increase sexual pleasure, and that it is “good for married life”. The lady doctor claimed that the practice was now growing popular among Muslim women from “many sects” in Kerala, and that she performed it for girls and women of “any age”. For very young girls, she said, the procedure is sometimes performed by the male doctor who runs the clinic. The doctors apply local anaesthesia before the cutting, and they claim the wound takes five days to heal. “It is better to do it when the girl is a baby,” the lady doctor said. “But these days a lot of women prefer to get it done for themselves immediately after delivering their baby, when they’re also getting other stitches to their vagina. That way they have to deal with two pains in one go.” According to the doctors, some women also ask for sunnath after delivery because “delivery lessens sexual pleasure and the sunnath helps enhance it”. The lady doctor also offers pre- and post-marriage counselling at the clinic, and she claimed that she recommends sunnath for women during such counselling to allegedly improve their sex lives. “Once their sex life is better, their marriage will also be happy,” she said. When Sahiyo asked whether the practice is compulsory for Muslim women, the doctor said, “It is not compulsory, but if your mother-in-law has told you to do it, then it is compulsory for you, you have to get it done.” The male doctor at the clinic claimed that the practice is mentioned in “four or five Hadiths”, or Islamic texts containing the teachings of the Prophet. “You should read up about it, this is also done in Saudi, Egypt and Africa,” he said. The doctor denied any knowledge of the fact that this practice is controversial or that some African communities cut more than just the clitoris. “There is no controversy, very little is cut,” he said. Despite this, the clinic’s website mentions only male circumcision in the list of services it offers, and makes no mention of female circumcision. The practice is secretive, the doctors said, because it is a “female issue”, and the religious taboos associated with “all things female” prevent people from talking about it. However, the doctors asked the Sahiyo reporters to “spread the word” among friends that they perform sunnath for girls. It is unclear how widespread the practice of FGC is in Kerala, or for how long it has been practiced in the region. Since the investigation, Sahiyo has come across at least two persons – one from Kerala and one from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu – who claim to know a female relative who has undergone sunnath, but the women in question did not wish to come on record. Is FGC illegal in India? According to WHO, there are no medical benefits of any type of FGM/C, and the practice can in fact be harmful. The negative health consequences of Type 1 FGM/C include pain, bleeding, urinary problems, infections, injury to genital tissue, sexual problems and long-term psychological trauma. The clitoris, located above the vagina and urethra, is a bundle of sensitive nerve tissue that
പെൺസുന്നത്ത്/ചേലാകർമ്മം കേരളത്തിലും ഒരു സഹിയോ അന്വേഷണം
– ആരിഫാ ജോഹരി , ആയിഷ മഹ്മൂദ് എന്നിവരുടെ കണ്ടെത്തലുകൾ. (Read the English version of this report here.) ഇന്ത്യയിൽ പെൺകുട്ടികളുടെ ചേലാകർമ്മം, ഇന്ന് വരെ ദാവൂദി ബോഹ്റാ വിഭാഗക്കാരുടെ ഇടയിലും മറ്റു ചെറുബോഹ്റാ വിഭാഗങ്ങളുടെയും ഇടയിൽ മാത്രമാണ് ആചരിച്ചു വരുന്നത് എന്നാണു പൊതുവെയുള്ള വിശ്വാസം . എന്നാൽ, സഹിയോ എന്ന സംഘടന ഈയടുത്ത് നടത്തിയ ചില അന്വേഷണങ്ങളിൽ , പെൺസുന്നത്ത് മറ്റു ചില ഇസ്ലാമിക വിഭാഗങ്ങളുടെ ഇടയിലും , കേരളത്തിന്റെ ചിലഭാഗങ്ങളിൽ എങ്കിലും, നടത്തുന്നതായി സൂചന ലഭിക്കുകയുണ്ടായി. ഫെബ്രുവരിയിൽ നടത്തിയ ഒരു അണ്ടർകവർ അന്വേഷണത്തിൽ, സഹിയോയുടെ പ്രവർത്തകർ, കോഴിക്കോട്ടുള്ള ഒരു ക്ലിനിക്കിൽ, പെൺചേലാകർമ്മം ചെയ്യാറുണ്ടെന്നു സമ്മതിക്കുന്ന രണ്ട് ഡോക്ടർമാരെ പരിചയപ്പെടുകയുണ്ടായി. പെൺകുട്ടികളുടെയും ആൺകുട്ടികളുടെയും ചേലാകര്മ്മം അവരുടെ ക്ലിനിക്കിൽ സ്ഥിരമായി നടക്കാറുണ്ടെന്ന് അവർ അവകാശപ്പെട്ടു. അവരുടെ വാദമനുസരിച്ച് കേരളത്തിന്റ പലഭാഗങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നും സ്ത്രീകൾ സുന്നത്ത് ചെയ്യാനായി അവരെ സമീപിക്കുകയും, അവരുടെ പെൺമക്കളെയും, മരുമകളെയും കൊണ്ട് വരാറുണ്ടെന്നും പറയുന്നു. ഇവരുടെ എണ്ണത്തിൽ വർദ്ധനവും ഉണ്ടെന്ന് അവർ പറയുന്നു. ഡോക്ടർ വിശദീകരിക്കുന്നത്, പെൺസുന്നത്തിനു സ്ത്രീകളുടെ യോനീഛദത്തിന്റെ (clitoris) അറ്റത്തുള്ള തോല് നീക്കുകയാണ് ചെയ്യുക. ഇത് clitoral hood എന്നാണുഅറിയപ്പെടുന്നത്. അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ അഭിപ്രായത്തിൽ ഇത് “വൈവാഹികജീവിതം അത്യാഹ്ലാദകരമാക്കുന്നു”. മാത്രമല്ല ചില ഭർത്താക്കന്മാരും, ഭാര്യമാരും ഇതിനു നിർബന്ധം പിടിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു. സൗദിയിലും ഈജിപ്തിലും ആഫ്രിക്കയിലും ഇത് സർവ്വസാധാരണമാണെന്നും- ഇതിൽ യാതൊരു അപകടം ഇല്ലെന്നും അവർ സാക്ഷ്യപെടുത്തുന്നു. എന്നിരിക്കിലും, കോഴിക്കോട്ടുള്ള ഈ ഡോക്ടർമാർ വിവരിച്ച രീതിയിലുള്ള ചേലാകർമ്മം ലോകാരോഗ്യസംഘടനയുടെ (WHO) Female Genital Mutilation / Cutting (FGM/ C) എന്ന നിർവചനത്തിൽപെടുന്നതാണ്. ഇതാവട്ടെ മാനുഷികാവകാശങ്ങൾ ഹനിക്കുകയും, സ്ത്രീകൾക്ക് എതിരായുള്ള വിവേചനപൂർണ്ണനടപടിയായി അംഗീകരിക്കപ്പെട്ടതും ആണ്. ലോകാരോഗ്യസംഘടന FGM/ Cയെ ഇങ്ങനെ നിർവചിക്കുന്നു “സ്ത്രീകളുടെ ബാഹ്യമായി കാണപ്പെടുന്ന യോനി വൈദ്യശാസ്ത്രപരമായ ആവശ്യങ്ങൾക്കല്ലാതെ പൂർണ്ണമോ ഭാഗികമോ ആയി നീക്കം ചെയ്യുന്നതോ, മുറിവേൽപ്പിക്കുന്നതോ ആയ എല്ലാ രീതിയിലുള്ള പ്രവർത്തിയും ഇതിൽപെടുന്നു” ലോകാരോഗ്യസംഘടനാ FGM/ C അതിന്റെ തീവ്രത അനുസരിച്ച് നാല് തരമായി തിരിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു. ഏറ്റവും തീവ്രത കുറഞ്ഞതും -എന്നാൽ ഏറ്റവും പൊതുവായി നടത്തപെടുന്നതും ഇതിൽ ടൈപ് വൺ എന്ന് വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്ന അഗ്രചർമ്മം മുറിച്ച് നീക്കുന്ന രീതിയാണ്. കേരളത്തിലെ പെൺസുന്നത്ത്: സ്ത്രീചേലാകർമ്മത്തെ കുറിച്ചുള്ള ഒരു മലയാളം ബ്ലോഗിൽ വന്ന കമന്റ് കാണുകയും , സഹിയോയെ ബന്ധപ്പെടുകയും ചെയ്ത ഒരു മലയാളിയിൽ നിന്നാണ് നമ്മുടെ അന്വേഷണം തുടങ്ങുന്നത്. അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ അറിവ് വച്ച്, കേരളത്തിൽ ഇത് നടത്തുന്നത് “ഒസ്സാതികൾ” എന്ന് പ്രാദേശികമായി അറിയപ്പെട്ടിരുന്ന ക്ഷുരകന്മാർ ആയിരുന്നു- അപൂർവ്വമായി ഡോക്ടർമാരും. ഇതനുസരിച്ച് സഹിയോ പ്രവർത്തകർ മലബാറിലെ ചില ആശുപത്രികൾ സന്ദർശിക്കുകയും , അന്വേഷണം നടത്തുകയും ചെയ്തു. ഈ ഹോസ്പിറ്റലുകളിൽ ഞങ്ങൾ ബന്ധപ്പെട്ട ഡോക്ടർമാർ ഇങ്ങനെയൊരു ആചാരത്തെ കുറിച്ച് കേട്ടറിവ് മാത്രമാണെന്നും , അതൊരു രീതിയിലും അംഗീകരിക്കുകയോ പിന്തുടരുകയോ ചെയ്യാറില്ല എന്ന് ഉറപ്പിച്ച് പറഞ്ഞു. മാത്രമല്ല, അങ്ങനെയുള്ള എന്തെങ്കിലും കണ്ടാൽ അത് റിപ്പോർട്ട് ചെയ്യുകയും ചെയ്യും എന്നും പറഞ്ഞു. ഇതിനു ശേഷമാണ് സുന്നത്ത് ക്ലിനിക് എന്ന് പരക്കെ അറിയപ്പെടുന്ന ഒരു ചെറിയ ക്ലിനിക്കിൽ ഇത് ചെയ്യാറുണ്ട് എന്ന് അവിടെയുള്ള ഡോക്ടർ തന്നെ യാതൊരു സങ്കോചവും ഇല്ലാതെ സമ്മതിച്ചത്. അന്വേഷണത്തിനായി സഹിയോപ്രവർത്തകർ ആവശ്യക്കാരായി നടിക്കുകയും അവരെ സമീപിക്കുകയും ചെയ്തു. ഒരു പ്രവർത്തക തന്നെ ഭർതൃവീട്ടിൽ നിന്നും നിർബന്ധിക്കുന്നു എന്ന വ്യാജേന അതിനെ പറ്റി കൂടുതൽ അറിയാൻ വന്നതാണെന്നും പേടിയുണ്ടെന്നും പറഞ്ഞു. “ഇവിടെ ഇഷ്ടം പോലെ ചെയ്യാറുണ്ടല്ലോ” എന്നായിരുന്നു ലേഡി ഡോക്ടറുടെ മറുപടി. തുടർന്ന് അത് ചെയ്യുന്ന രീതി വിശദമായി പറഞ്ഞു തരികയും “ലൈംഗിക സുഖം വർദ്ധിക്കുകയും” “വൈവാഹികജീവിതത്തിനു ഒഴിച്ച് കൂടാനാവാത്തതും” എന്ന് ഊട്ടിഉറപ്പിക്കുന്ന രീതിയിൽ പറയുകയും ചെയ്തു. തങ്ങളുടെ അടുത്ത് വൈവാഹിക കൗസലിങ്ങിന് വരുന്നവരോട് തങ്ങൾ പെൺസുന്നത്ത് നീർദ്ദേശിക്കാറുണ്ടെന്നും, അതവരുടെ ലൈംഗികജീവിതവും വിവാഹജീവിതവും ആനന്ദപ്രദമാക്കും എന്നും ഇവർ അവകാശപ്പെടുന്നു. കേരളത്തിലെ എല്ലാ വിഭാഗം മുസ്ലിങ്ങളുടെയും ഇടയിൽ ഇത് വളരെ പ്രചാരം നേടുന്നുണ്ടെന്നും ആളുകൾ അന്വേഷിച്ച് വരുന്നുണ്ടെന്നും ഇവർ പറയുന്നു. മാത്രമല്ല, എല്ലാ പ്രായത്തിലുള്ള പെൺകുട്ടികളിലും ചെയ്ത പരിചയം തങ്ങൾക്കുണ്ടെന്നും ഇവർ അവകാശപ്പെടുന്നു. വളരെ കുഞ്ഞുകുട്ടികൾക്ക് അധികവും പുരുഷഡോക്ടർ ആണ് ചെയ്യാറുള്ളതെന്നും മറ്റുള്ളവ താനാണ് കൈകാര്യം ചെയ്യാറുള്ളതെന്നും ലേഡി ഡോക്ടർ പറഞ്ഞു. പൂർണ്ണ സ്വകാര്യത ക്ലിനിക് വാഗ്ദാനം ചെയുന്നു. ചേലാകർമ്മത്തിനു മുൻപേ ലോക്കൽ അനസ്തീസിയ ചെയ്ത് ആ ഭാഗം മരവിപ്പിക്കുകയും , തുടർന്ന് വേദനസംഹാരിയും നൽകുന്നതായിരിക്കും. മുറിവ് ഉണങ്ങാൻ അഞ്ചു മുതൽ ആറു ദിവസം എടുക്കും എന്നാണു അറിയിച്ചത്. “കൈക്കുഞ്ഞായിരിക്കുന്പോൾ ചെയ്യുന്നതാണ് അഭികാമ്യം. പക്ഷെ ഇപ്പോൾ ഒരു പാട് സ്ത്രീകൾ അവരുടെ പ്രസവശേഷം, സുന്നത്ത് ചെയ്യാറുണ്ട്. അതാകുന്പോൾ പ്രസവസമയത്ത് ഉള്ള തുന്നലും, ഇതിന്റെ തുന്നലും എല്ലാം ഒരു വേദനയിൽ കഴിഞ്ഞു കിട്ടും. ശേഷം അവരുടെ ലൈംഗികസുഖവും ഇരട്ടിക്കും. പ്രസവശേഷം പലരുടെയും സുഖം കുറയുന്നതായി കാണാം.” എന്ന് ലേഡി ഡോക്ടർ വിശദീകരിക്കുന്നു. മുസ്ലിം സ്ത്രീകൾക്ക് ഇത് നിർബന്ധമാണോ എന്ന് സഹിയോ ചോദിച്ചപ്പോൾ “നിബന്ധമൊന്നുമല്ല. പക്ഷെ ഭർത്താവും അമ്മായിയമ്മയും പറയുകയാണെങ്കിൽ നിങ്ങൾ ചെയ്തേ തീരൂ, നിങ്ങൾക്ക് അത് നീർബന്ധം തന്നെയാണ്” എന്ന് ഡോക്ടർ മറുപടി നൽകുന്നു. ക്ലിനിക്കിലെ പുരുഷഡോക്ടർ, ഹദീസിൽ നാലഞ്ചിടത്ത്ഇ ഇതിനെ കുറിച്ച് വളരെ വ്യക്തമായി പരാമർശിക്കുന്നുണ്ടെന്നും, അവ വായിക്കുന്നത് നന്നായിരിക്കുമെന്നും ഉപദേശിക്കുന്നു. മാത്രമല്ല സൗദിയിലും ഈജിപ്തിലും ആഫ്രിക്കയിലും എത്രയോ ആയിരം വര്ഷങ്ങളായി ഇത് പിന്തുടരുന്നുണ്ടല്ലോ എന്നും ഓർമിപ്പിക്കുന്നു. ആ രാജ്യങ്ങളിലെ ഇത്തരം ആചാരങ്ങളെ കുറിച്ച് പേടിപ്പെടുത്തുന്ന കഥകളും , അതിനെതിരായി വിവാദങ്ങളും കണ്ടതായി പ്രവർത്തകർ ആശങ്ക പ്രകടിപ്പിച്ചപ്പോൾ “അതൊക്കെ വെറുതെയാണ്. ഒരു ചെറിയ മുറിവ് മാത്രമാണ്, അല്ലാതെ മുഴുവനായി മുറിച്ച് കളയുകയൊന്നും ഇല്ല” എന്ന് ഡോക്ടർ വ്യക്തമാക്കുന്നു. എന്നാൽ, ഈ ക്ലിനിക്കിന്റെ വെബ്സൈറ്റിൽ ആൺകുട്ടികളുടെ സുന്നത്തിനെ കുറിച്ച് മാത്രമേ പരസ്യം ചെയ്തിട്ടുള്ളൂ എന്ന കാര്യം ചൂണ്ടി കാണിച്ചപ്പോൾ, അവർ അത് വിട്ടു പോയതാണെന്നും, അതൊന്നു മറക്കാതെ ചെയ്യണം എന്ന് പരസ്പരം ഓർമ്മിപ്പിക്കുകയും ചെയ്തു. മാത്രമല്ല പ്രവർത്തകരോട് ഞങ്ങളുടെ സുഹൃത്തുക്കളോടും കുടുംബക്കാരോടും ഈ സർവ്വീസ് ഇവിടെ ലഭ്യമാണെന്ന് അറിയിക്കണം എന്ന് ആവശ്യപ്പെട്ടു. പെൺസുന്നത്ത് കേരളത്തിൽ എത്രത്തോളം വിപുലമാണ് എന്നതിന് കണക്കുകൾ ഇല്ല- എത്ര കാലമായി എന്നതിനോ. സ്ത്രീലൈംഗികത സംബദ്ധമായ വിഷയമായത് കൊണ്ടും, മതത്തിന്റെ ഒരു ഘടന കാരണവും വളരെ സ്വകാര്യമായി മാത്രം, ഒരു പക്ഷെ, അനുഷ്ഠിച്ച്വരുന്ന ഇത്തരം ആചാരങ്ങളെ കുറിച്ച് വിവരം ശേഖരിക്കുന്നത് പ്രയാസമേറിയതാണ്. സഹിയോയുടെ അന്വേഷണങ്ങൾക്ക് ഒടുവിൽ; പെൺസുന്നത്തിനു വിധേയയായ രണ്ട് പേര് ; കേരളത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ഒരു സ്ത്രീയെയും കോയന്പത്ത്തൂരിൽ നിന്നു ഒരു സ്ത്രീയെയും കണ്ടെത്തുകയും സഹിയോ ബന്ധപ്പെടുകയും ചെയ്തു. എന്നാൽ രണ്ടു പേരും ഒരു വിധത്തിലും ഇതിനെ കുറിച്ച് സംസാരിക്കാനോ സാക്ഷ്യപെടുത്താനോ തയ്യാറായില്ല. പെൺസുന്നത്ത് ഇന്ത്യയിൽ നിയമവിരുദ്ധമാണോ? ലോകാരോഗ്യസംഘടനയുടെ വിവരണം അനുസരിച്ച്, പെൺസുന്നത്ത് കൊണ്ട് യാതൊരു വിധത്തിലുമുള്ള നേട്ടവുമില്ല എന്ന് മാത്രമല്ല അത് ദോഷകരമാണ് താനും. ടൈപ്പ് വൺ FGM/ Cയുടെ ദൂഷ്യഫലങ്ങൾ വേദന, രക്തംപോക്ക്, മൂത്രാശയ അണുബാധ, യോനീകോശങ്ങൾക്കു സംഭവിക്കാവുന്ന പരിക്ക്, ലൈംഗികപ്രശ്നങ്ങൾ, മാനസികമായ ആഘാതങ്ങൾ എന്നിവ WHO രേഖപെടുത്തുന്നു. യോനിയുടെയും മൂത്രനാളത്തിന്റെയും ഇടയിലുള്ള യോനീച്ഛദം അഥവാ ക്ലിറ്റോറിസ് അതിവൈകാരികമായ നാഡികോശങ്ങളാൽ സന്പന്നമായ ഒരു അവയവഭാഗമാണ്. അതിന്റെ ഏകലക്ഷ്യം സ്ത്രീകളുടെ ലൈംഗിക ആനന്ദം മാത്രമാണ്. അത് മുറിച്ച് മാറ്റുകയോ, പരിക്കേൽപ്പിക്കുകയോ ചെയ്യുന്നതിലൂടെ ലൈംഗികാസ്വാദനവും ഉത്തേജനവും കുറയുകയാണ് ചെയ്യുന്നത്. FGC ഒരു ഇസ്ലാമിക ആചാരമല്ല, ഇതിനെ കുറിച്ച് ഖുർആനിൽ എവിടെയും പ്രതിപാദിച്ചിട്ടുമില്ല. ഇത് മുസ്ലിംകളുടെ ഇടയിൽ മാത്രം കണ്ടു വരുന്ന ഒരു ആചാരമല്ല താനും. ചില രാജ്യങ്ങളിൽ ക്രിസ്ത്യാനികളും, ജൂതന്മാരും, അനിമിസ്റ്റ് വിഭാഗക്കാരും ഇത് പിന്തുടരാറുണ്ട്. ലോകത്തെ 41 രാജ്യങ്ങളിൽ പെൺചേലാകർമ്മം നിയമവിരുദ്ധമാണ് – ഇതിൽ ഈജിപ്തും ചില ആഫ്രിക്കൻരാജ്യങ്ങളും ഉൾപെടും. ഇന്ത്യയിൽ ഇതിനെതിരെ നിലവിൽ ഒരു നിയമങ്ങളും ഇല്ല – എന്നാൽ ഒരു സ്വത്രന്ത്രവക്കീൽ ഇതിനെതിരായി സമർപ്പിച്ച പൊതുതാല്പര്യഹർജി ഇപ്പോൾ സുപ്രീംകോടതിയുടെ പരിഗണയിലുണ്ട്. മെയ് എട്ടാം തീയതി സുപ്രീംകോടതി കേന്ദ്രസർക്കാരിനോടും, നാല് സംസ്ഥാന സർക്കാരുകളോടും ഈ പൊതുതാല്പര്യ ഹർജിയോട് പ്രതികരിക്കാൻ ആവശ്യപെട്ടിട്ടുണ്ട്. മെയ് 29നു, വനിതാശിശുവികസനമന്ത്രാലയം ശ്രീമതി മേനകഗാന്ധിയുടെ നേതൃത്ത്വത്തിൽ, ഇന്ത്യൻ ശിക്ഷാനിയമത്തിന്റെയും Protection of Children from Sexual Offence അഥവാ POSCOയുടെയും കീഴിൽ സ്ത്രീചേലാകർമ്മം സ്വയമേവ നിയമവിരുദ്ധമായി തീരും എന്ന് പ്രസ്താവനയിറക്കി. സഹിയോയെ കുറിച്ച് കൂടുതൽ അറിയാൻ: സഹിയോ; സ്ത്രീ ചേലാകർമ്മം , പെൺസുന്നത്ത്, ഖാറ്റ്നാ എന്നിങ്ങനെയുള്ള FGC ആചാരങ്ങൾ ദക്ഷിണ ഏഷ്യൻ രാജ്യങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് തുടച്ചുനീക്കാൻ പ്രവർത്തിക്കുന്ന ഒരു സന്നദ്ധസംഘടനയാണ്. നിങ്ങളിൽ ആർക്കെങ്കിലും ഇതിനെ കുറിച്ച് കൂടുതൽ അറിവുണ്ടെങ്കിൽ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ അറിയാൻ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നെങ്കിൽ ഞങ്ങളുമായി ബന്ധപ്പെടാവുന്നതാണ്. info@sahiyo.com എന്ന അഡ്രസ്സിൽ നിങ്ങൾക്ക് മെയിൽ ചെയ്യാം. വാർത്താമാധ്യമങ്ങളോടുഒരുഅപേക്ഷ പെൺസുന്നത്ത് എന്ന ആചാരം പലർക്കും ഞെട്ടിപ്പിക്കുന്ന ഒരു സത്യം ആണെന്ന് ഞങ്ങൾ മനസ്സിലാക്കുന്നു. ഇത് മീഡിയയിൽ സെൻസേഷൻ ആകാവുന്ന ഒരു വിഷയുമാണ്. എന്നിരുന്നാലും ഇതിനു വിധേയമായ സ്ത്രീകൾക്കും കുട്ടികൾക്കും ഇത് വളരെ വൈകാരികമായ ഒരു വിഷയം ആണെന്ന് കൂടി ഓർക്കേണ്ടതുണ്ട്. ഇതിനാൽ, ഈ വിഷയം കൈകാര്യം ചെയ്യാൻ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്ന മാധ്യമപ്രവർത്തകർ, എഡിറ്റർ, ഫോട്ടോഗ്രാഫർ, ഗ്രാഫിക്ഡിസൈനേഴ്സ്, ബ്ലോഗേഴ്സ് എന്നിവർ സമചിത്തതയോടും സഹാനുഭൂതിയോടും കൂടി വർത്തിക്കണം എന്ന് അപേക്ഷിക്കുന്നു. – ഇതിനു വിധേയയായ സ്ത്രീകളുടെയും പെൺകുട്ടികളുടെയും സ്വകാര്യതയെമാനിക്കുക : പെൺസുന്നത്ത് ഒരു തരത്തിലുള്ള ലിംഗ-വിവേചന അക്രമമാണ്, അതിനാൽ നിങ്ങൾ ഇന്റർവ്യൂ ചെയ്യുന്പോഴും, അവരുടെ വാക്കുകൾ ഉദ്ധരിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്പോൾ അവരുടെ പേരോ മറ്റു വിവരങ്ങളോ , അവരുടെ പൂർണ്ണസമ്മതത്തോടെയല്ലാതെ പുറത്ത് വിടരുത്. അവരെ “ഇര” “അതിജീവിച്ചവൾ” അതോ മറ്റുവല്ല വാക്കുകളാൽ സംബോധന ചെയ്യാമോ എന്ന് അവരോട് തന്നെ ചോദിച്ച് ഉറപ്പ് വരുത്തുക. – ഛേദം പ്രതി മുറിക്കൽ: FGC എന്നത് പലപ്പോഴും FGM അഥവാ Female Genital Mutilation എന്ന് വിളിച്ച് കാണാറുണ്ട്. Mutilation അഥവാ ഛേദം എന്ന വാക്കു ഉപയോഗിക്കുന്നതിനെ കുറിച്ച് ആചാരമനുഷ്ഠിക്കുന്നവരുടെ ഇടയിൽ തർക്കങ്ങളുണ്ട് . അവരതിന് പറയുന്ന കാരണങ്ങൾ ഛേദം എന്ന വാക്കിനു ഒരു വിപരീതലക്ഷ്യാർത്ഥം ഉണ്ടെന്നും ആരും അവരുടെ പെണ്മക്കളെ വികലമാക്കണം എന്ന ഉദ്ദേശത്തോടു കൂടി ഇത് ചെയ്യാറില്ല എന്നും പറയുന്നു. സാമൂഹികവും, മതപരവും, സാമുദായികവുമായ കാരണങ്ങൾ കൊണ്ടാണ് ഈ ആചാരം അനുഷ്ടിക്കപെടുന്നത്. ലോകമെന്പാടുമുള്ള സാമൂഹികപ്രവർത്തകർ Female Genital Cutting എന്ന പദം ഉപയോഗിക്കാനാണ് താത്പര്യപെടുന്നത്- ലോകാരോഗ്യസംഘടന ഇത് ശരിവെക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു. – അതിവൈകാരികമായ ഭാഷയും ചിത്രങ്ങളും ഉപയോഗിക്കാതിരിക്കുക: “അപരിഷ്കൃതം” “ദാരുണം” “ഗോത്രീയം” എന്നിങ്ങനെയുള്ള പദങ്ങൾ പെൺസുന്നത്തിനെ കുറിച്ച് എഴുതുന്പോൾ ഉപയോഗിക്കാതിരിക്കാൻ ശ്രധ്ധിക്കുക. സുന്നത്തിനു വിധേയരായ സ്ത്രീകൾക്ക് ഇത് അരോചകമായിതോന്നിയേക്കും. ഇത്തരം പദപ്രയോഗങ്ങൾ അവരെ സമൂഹത്തിൽ നിന്നും ഒറ്റപ്പെടുത്തുകയും അവർക്ക് ഒരു തിരിച്ച് വരവ് ദുസ്സഹമാവുകയും ചെയ്യും. ചോര ഇറ്റി വീഴുന്ന ബ്ലേഡ്, കരയുന്ന കുഞ്ഞുങ്ങൾ, ബലമായി വിടർത്തി പിടിച്ച കാലുകൾ, പൊത്തി പിടിച്ച
Why doctors need to speak out against female genital cutting in India
By Aarefa Johari (A shorter version of this piece was published on the British Medical Journal’s blogs site on January 20, 2017. Read it here.) Two years ago I met Sara (name changed), a bright mother of two and a member of the Dawoodi Bohra community in Mumbai. From the time her daughter was a baby, Sara was determined she would not put her child through the ritual of khatna – female circumcision – that is considered mandatory for all Bohra girls. She had heard too many times that khatna is done to curb a girl’s sexual urges, and she was completely against the practice. But when her daughter turned six, family pressure began to mount. Her mother-in-law was adamant that the child had to be cut at the age of seven, and after months of trying to resist, Sara finally caved in. She saw no choice but to have her daughter circumcised, so she decided to do everything in her power to ensure that khatna didn’t leave her little girl traumatised. No traditional, untrained “cutters” who use razor blades or knives to slice the clitoris; she wouldn’t even take her daughter to just any Bohra doctor authorised to perform khatna. Instead, Sara sought out a gynaecologist who agreed to completely sedate the child during the procedure. Female circumcision, known around the world as Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM or FGC), is recognised as a human rights violation by the World Health Organisation. It involves cutting or altering parts of the female genitalia for non-medical reasons. There are various types of FGC practiced around the world, with varying degrees of severity. The kind that Bohras practice – cutting all or part of the clitoral hood – falls within WHO’s definition of Type 1 FGC. The practice is illegal in at least 40 countries, because there are no medical benefits to cutting any part of the female genitalia. In fact, even the mildest form of FGC can have harmful health consequences, including bleeding, swelling, painful urination, infection and reduced sexual sensitivity. And yet, just two years ago, Sara’s seven-year-old daughter was cut in an operation theatre in a Mumbai hospital, by a licensed gynaecologist who administered general anaesthesia on the child so that she would have no memory of her clitoral hood being removed without consent. If most doctors and medical associations in India are unaware of such incidents, I wouldn’t be surprised. Until a few years ago, almost no one had heard of Female Genital Cutting being practiced in India. Even international campaigns against FGM/C focused mainly on Africa, and only in the last few years has it been acknowledged that FGC is globally prevalent. But in India, Bohras have been secretly circumcising their daughters for centuries. Like so many seven-year-old Bohra girls, I was cut as a child too. We are not a large community – barely two million in number – but those familiar with Dawoodi Bohras know us as a close-knit, well-educated, wealthy business community with a reputation for being progressive towards women. But the Bohras are the only group known to practice FGC in India so far. Other Indian Muslim sects don’t even consider the ritual Islamic, because there is no mention of it in the Quran. Bohra families, depending on who you speak to, give a variety of different reasons for practicing female khatna. “It is in the religion”, “it curbs sexual desire” and “it prevents pre-marital and extra-marital affairs” are the most common justifications; other reasons include hygiene and health, specifically the prevention of urinary tract infections and other diseases. Medically, of course, there is no proof of such claims. More recently, some Bohras have begun rationalising khatna with the strangest argument: they claim it is the same as “clitoral unhooding”, a surgical procedure that a number of doctors in Western countries perform on adult women to enhance sexual pleasure. I first heard this argument from Sara, a few months after her daughter was cut. The child may have been sedated in the OT, but the mother was still deeply uncomfortable with her khatna. After the “surgery”, Sara spent hours online trying to understand what exactly had been cut and why. She then came across a website on clitoral unhooding. It claimed that by removing the hood covering the clitoral glans, the clitoris is more exposed and thus experiences more stimulation and pleasure. Sara shared the website with another Bohra doctor who performs khatna. “Yes, this is exactly what our khatna is. It is done to enhance sexual pleasure,” the doctor claimed. This affirmation came as solace for Sara – her daughter was not harmed after all, and khatna turned out to have a “positive” intention. Her maternal relief was blind to the gaping holes in this “clitoral unhooding” theory, which were obvious on the website itself. As a surgical procedure, unhooding is recommended only for some sexually active women, if they have excess prepuce tissue that hinders orgasms by preventing the clitoral glans from protruding during arousal. Otherwise, the hood serves important function of protecting the clitoris from over-stimulation or abrasions. Unfortunately, now that there is a growing movement against FGC within the community, many khatna supporters are trying to promote clitoral unhooding as a “scientific” justification for cutting all seven-year-old girls without consent. If this isn’t enough to mislead parents, we are also witnessing another disturbing trend: the medicalisation of khatna. Medicalisation refers to the trend in which the cultural, non-medical practice of FGC is increasingly performed by a trained medical practitioner instead of an untrained traditional cutter. For several years now, Bohras in bigger cities like Mumbai have been getting their daughters cut by doctors (though not necessarily gynaecologists) in Bohra hospitals or clinics. They have come to realise that untrained cutters are not only unhygienic, but are also more likely to cut more than intended – particularly if the child is kicking or resisting the cut. The trend is now also spreading to smaller cities and towns. A few months ago,
Let us not vilify the Detroit doctor as we work to end Female Genital Cutting
By: Anonymous Country: United StatesAge: 34 Shortly after my seventh birthday, I went to visit my grandmother in New York. My mother told me this visit was going to be special because I turned seven and I had to have something “important done”. “All girls have to have it done when they turn seven,” I was told, just as my older sisters had it done before me. My mother said it was to ensure a “good marriage” when I am older. At the age of seven, this was a more than sufficient explanation for me. I just took this explanation as the norm, and even believed that women of all faiths and cultures must undergo the same experience. At the time, I had no idea that day would be life-changing for me on so many levels. The procedure harmed me physically. It was, unsurprisingly, botched, being conducted on a basement floor by an untrained older housewife in our community. But the message I was told that day – “this will help your marriage”, and messages I was subsequently told throughout my life “this is to make sure women’s urges are controlled”, “these things are done to make sure you are loyal to your husband”, “women need to appease their husband” – these messages are what truly did the most psychological harm. These messages have caused me to live a life in which I felt inferior to my partner and felt shame for all my natural urges/feelings. As I grew more aware of how that day impacted me, I became upset and resentful. I was angry about what I was forced to go through and constantly wondered what would have been if that day never happened. Thinking about other little girls, who would undoubtedly have to undergo the same thing, overwhelmed me with feelings of anger, sadness, and helplessness. I hoped people in our community would stop subjecting innocent girls to this practice. I wished people would wake up and realize they were doing more harm than good – that they were truly doing no good at all. A few days ago news broke of a female doctor in Detroit who was charged with illegally performing FGM on two young girls. My first reaction – like that of many who are opposed to this practice – was a feeling of vindication. Someone was finally being held responsible for this practice. People might start becoming aware that this is a serious problem, not just abroad, but right here in the US. I also thought this case might act as a deterrent for many other people who are thinking of performing FGC. After witnessing people’s reaction to the news, my vindication soon turned into disheartenment. People adamantly opposed to the practice or adamantly opposed to Islam, began to vilify this doctor as a cruel heartless sexual predator. But that is not what I saw in her. I just saw a woman, just like my mother, aunt, or grandmother. A woman – a mother – who was trying to do what was best. My mother did not take me for that procedure with some malicious intent to hurt me. She did so, in the same manner, many of us take our children for immunizations, needed surgeries, or even male circumcisions. It hurts us to subject our children to anything painful, but we do so with the firm believe that it is being done in their best interest. We put faith in our medical professional’s guidance because they are widely respected and trusted as experts in a field. Similarly, people living in a Bohra community – those constantly surrounded by those of similar faith – put their faith in the guidance of their religious leaders. In their world, these leaders are widely accepted as trusted “experts” who know what is best for each one of us. For them, the divine rules set forth by these leaders well supersede standards set by medical communities or politicians. So I look at this woman and I don’t see a villain – I see a victim. A victim like myself who has undoubtedly also been unjustly cut as a child. A woman who was not only physically abused in the past but also continues to be mentally manipulated into acting against her better judgment. I am not completely absolving her from the choices she made – everyone must take responsibility for their actions, and she could have acted differently. I am just attempting to explain, from the perspective of her world, how it often might seem like there is no choice for her to do otherwise. So by villainizing her, punishing her – you may scare some other doctors from conducting the practice. You may deter some other mothers from having their children undergo the procedure. But punishing her does not punish the true abusers. As long as the male leaders continue to advocate for this practice and maintain its importance in religious doctrine, followers will continue to adhere to the guidance of their respected leaders. My worst fear is that this public case mixed with continued pro-FGC messaging from our community will drive this practice underground even more. So instead of having doctors illegally practice in their sanitized clinics after hours – our girls will be subjected to experiences similar to mine – being cut by their grandmothers on an unsanitary cold basement floor. This article was later published in Gujarati. Read the Gujarati version here.
I wonder if I would have been a different person if I hadn’t been cut
by Anonymous Age: 26 Country: India / United States I was about 6 years old when I was taken to a clinic. One doctor and one nurse conducted the “surgery”. It took less than a minute to do it. I was told that there was a worm which the doctor was going to remove. The pain was for a split second and when I went to pee afterward the cotton that the nurse had stuffed in my underwear had blood on it. I was lucky to have no burning sensation or pain while peeing. Later, I was asked to not discuss this experience with anyone: “It’s a secret,” they said. So I never knew what happened to me and why. In my teenage years, I learned that my other Bohra friends and cousin sisters experienced it too. I learned that it was called circumcision when I was studying anthropology in college. I read about horrible stories that women in Africa went through. I am thankful that, unlike other friends who were taken to some lady’s dingy house, I was taken to a clinic. But I was horrified when I learned the reason behind this act. I wonder if I’d be a different person if I hadn’t been circumcised.