FGM in USA?

 

Female Genital Mutilation in the USA?....

There is an old adage that goes by: “old habits dies hard”. This was evident when a leader of African Immigrant Community settled in Lewiston City in the US Said Mohamud confirmed that his Somali community still embrace  Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

“The old generation here still believe FGM is part of women’s beauty,” he told a group of visiting Tanzanian journalists.

But said they were unable to perform the ritual to Somali girls because the US government has criminalized the practice.

Lewiston city in the US-North East coast hosts about 15,000 African immigrants out of which 95% are Somali refugees relocated in the city in 2001 due to the endless civil war in their country.

Mohumud, former lecturer at the Mogadishu University said many would prefer to return home to perform FGM if it was not for the unrest due to civil war.

He said if they could afford they could even go to peaceful neighboring countries such as Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to perform the ritual if they were to afford travel costs.

Lewiston City Mayor Laurent Gilbert says due to language barriers and lack of professionalism among majority Somalis still live on handouts or earn little from small businesses they operate

World Health Organisation  (WHO) statistics show that about 100 to 140 million girls and women worldwide are currently living with the consequences of FGM.

FGM involves partial or removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non- medical reasons.

Some of the effects of FGM include pain during sexual intercourse, chronic infections, infertility, problems during pregnancy and may lead to death due to complication during child birth.

FGM increases the risk of HIV infection and other communicable diseases often due to use of unsterilized cutting equipment.

In Africa about 3 million girls are at risk of FGM annually. In many African communities FGM is considered to be cultural transition from childhood to adulthood.

But, Mohamud is worried about the future of the young Somalis. “Raising multicultural children is a challenge. We have cases where young people raise against us in the name of infringements of their rights.

Mohamud says, even after settling in the USA nearly a decade now, the old generation still embraced the African way of living.

In Tanzania FGM is criminalized for the under 18 years, however, efforts are being done by human rights organisations to review the law.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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