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	Female Genital Mutilation: A Mothering Exclusive Report

Activist Interview:
Sofia Abdi Noor

How did you first come to a point where you realized that you wanted to work to end FGM? Was it gradual or immediate?

I was a victim myself of Female Genital Mutilation at age eight, and it was excruciatingly painful. Immediately after my operation, I wondered why such a harmful practice was practiced, and even at age eight, I felt that something must be done about this issue.

But, I was a child, and I did not know how to start, and whom I should share my feelings with. I developed psychological problems for a long time, since in my Somali culture, girls are taught to be submissive and not to challenge the status quo, or even talk in the presence of the elders, as well as men and boys.

My time as a teenager was the worst, especially when it came to menstruating. It was very painful because of FGM, and this had a negative impact on me. When I was 20 years old, I started discussing the issue with relatives, friends, and colleagues at college to get a deeper understanding of the practice. I gathered information from various groups in society who shared my desire to stop the practice.

With this information, I started to reach out to other like-minded women from my community. We had many meetings, and then we decided to create an anti-FGM program. This process was gradual, since it involved changing people’s minds to understand that what they were doing wasn’t good for the health of women.

Do you have anti-FGM or pro-women mentors?

No, my dear, when I was growing we didn’t have any one to talk to. There wasn’t any woman who would come out to discuss FGM within the community. We didn’t have mentors to look for, or even consult with. Finally, when we started Womankind Kenya, and our core activity was the anti-FGM program, the community opened up enough to discuss the topic. It was a very difficult process to get them to accept discussing FGM; it took us almost 10 years for the community to reach that level.

Do you feel like you are fighting an uphill battle, or is the Kenyan culture ripe for change?

The Kenyan culture, and more so, my own, is not yet ripe for any change. I feel I am fighting an uphill battle of which I am prepared for and belief that one day, if not me, others will win this war. It is a deep-rooted practice within my community. It will take many more years before more communities can understand the effects of FGM. The purpose of FGM varies from one community to the other in Kenya. In my community, the purpose of the practice is believed to be religious, and religious things are appreciated in my culture. This practice is done to young girls between the ages of 6 – 10 years.

Do you feel like you are a typical Kenyan woman, or rare (or, typical of your region in Kenya)? In other words, do you think most women just need to tap into their power in order to be as active as you are for women’s rights, or some just aren’t cut out for it?

I am a typical Kenyan, and a very bitter woman in this corner of the world. I’m a woman who feels I have lost a lot in the name of culture and traditions. I am a woman who was denied all her rights starting from my own family. At the age of 8, I suffered double tragedy. First I went through a very painful exercise, the practice of FGM. Its suffering is still with me until today, at the age of above 30 years.

The same year, I lost the love of my father, because he didn’t get a son with my mother. He was persuaded by traditional beliefs to marry another wife in order to get sons. He left my mother, who had three girls with him, and married another woman. She was blessed with a son during her first delivery. Thereafter, my father completely deserted us. This devastated me. On a practical level, I was denied education and other basic needs. My mother went out of her way to do all sorts of work to bring us up.

What percentage of Kenyan women have undergone FGM?

For Kenyan women it’s about 65%, and in my community, it’s about 99%.

What do you think are incentives to help girls resist FGM?

I don’t think there are direct incentives that can be provided in order for them to resist this practice, since the practice is done at a very tender age. These girls do not have any power, and cannot engage with their parents. Sometimes the practice is done secretly, so that no one can know in advance that it is being performed.

The best solution is community education where everyone is involved—the men, women, elderly, and youth—for everyone to understand the medical complication of the practice. Womankind has also started a rescue program, which houses more than 70 girls. This program can be supported in educating the girls and improving their status.

Womankind Kenya has a rescue centre where girls in the Northeastern Province of Kenya can run for help. At present, we have 70 uncircumcised girls, who learned about our fight against FGM, and our campaign, and decided to come here to be protected. Immediately after we receive them, we report the matter to the proper authorities, and made a formal legal registration process for the girls. We use the children’s Act of Kenyan law to protect these girls who come to our home.

How does your family feel about what you are doing?

My mother feels very sad, betrayed and bad about what I’m doing, particularly about FGM. She is a strong believer and a traditionalist. She is one woman who believes that any woman who dares to talk in any public forum on issues of privacy is a crazy person, and needs to consult spiritual ancestors for help.

On other hand, she is happy with all my other work of helping the most vulnerable members of our society, coming from that background herself. My contribution towards women’s economical empowerment, education, health, food security, water and sanitation has balanced my relationship with her. She feels that, that is where I belong and not in advocating against FGM. For my husband, he is one person who has supported me throughout my life since we got married. He is an understanding person.

What problems do you encounter?

I have encountered many problems since we started the anti-FGM campaign. One major problem is with opinion leaders, community leaders, and elderly women, who feel that I’m advocating against good and beautiful cultures and customs. They believe that the campaign Womankind Kenya is influenced by outsiders in order to impose their cultures on to the community.

Politicians are also a major obstacle in our campaign; since they believe if we change the status quo of the community, this will be a big challenge to their security and future ambitions. Circumcisers believe we are threatening their livelihood as we change the way the community feels about the practice.

What successes show that you are making progress?

For the last 13 years that we have undertaken the campaign, we cannot say that we have done 100% in achieving our vision, but there are certain elements that we can share with you as positive steps towards the right direction. For instance, one is the rescue centre with a total enrolment of 70 uncircumcised girls. Second, there are about 25 circumcisers who have given up their tools, and who are working closely with us. We have helped them form a community-based organization in which we help them, through grants, learn to perform alternative income-generating activities.

After setting up various meetings with our religious leaders, they have made a declaration on the perspective of Islam on FGM, clarifying that FGM is not a religion-sanctioned practice.

When the Kenyan government was formulating the Children’s Act, Womankind Kenya played a key role in influencing the outcome. Today, this is a legal framework which can be used for prosecution.

What do you do to stay encouraged, and not give up?

Whenever I go to the field, or market, and I see a young girl, I look at her innocent face and inwardly talk to myself telling the young girl, “I’m here for you, mum, and they will not mutilate you.” Whenever I see a pregnant woman and the next minute I hear about complications of delivery, this also gives me the courage to advocate for the human rights of the women and the girl child.

I have two young daughters, and every morning when I wake up and see them, I get the courage, the strength and the energy to continue with the fight. I do not want them to be a victim of my culture; I don’t want them to experience the traumas that I have gone through.