EXPLORING FGM- SORCERY, SECRECY, AND LIVELIHOODS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 000208 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM GV SUBJECT: EXPLORING FGM- SORCERY, SECRECY, AND LIVELIHOODS ¶1. (U) SUMMARY. During a recent visit to the Forest Region, Assistant Poloff explored the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM),which affects an estimated 96% of the female population in Guinea. An interview with two women who perform FGM revealed that the exclusion of men and the belief in sorcery are important social aspects which contribute to the continued secrecy surrounding the practice. The women also highlighted the importance of creating economic alternatives for FGM practitioners as a means to eliminate the practice. The women's comments suggested that educating men, addressing the belief in sorcery, and creating alternative livelihoods for practitioners are crucial elements to ending FGM. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) During a recent trip to the Forest Region, Asst Poloff met with local authorities, citizens, and NGOs working to combat the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). In the village of Gbangbadou, near Kissidougou, Asst Poloff had a rare opportunity to interview women who actually perform FGM, or "excision". The interview took place at the community health center, with four local women in attendance. Two excisers were present, one of whom was elderly and spoke no French. The other women assisted with translation of the local language. -------------- THE EXCISION PROCESS -------------- ¶3. (U) In Gbangbadou and the surrounding villages, excision was previously performed at the age of puberty, just before a woman was sent to her husband. Presently, there is no fixed age at which girls are excised and it is left to the parents' discretion. Ceremonies accompany an excision and can last anywhere from three to five days. During these ceremonies, there is dancing, drumming, and singing; generally, food and money are given as gifts to the girl's family. The exciser said that girls are prepared "morally" for the excision, but are not given details of the process. The excision takes place in the forest, usually near a river. Although any woman can attend the actual procedure, it is usually older girls who have already been excised and/or older female relatives such as aunts or grandmothers. When asked if mothers attend, the excisers exclaimed "never!," noting that mothers do not want to watch their daughters suffer. ¶4. (U) When asked to describe the form of excision practiced in the region, the excisers first requested that Asst Poloff outline the different types. The excisers confirmed that in the Forest region, the clitoris and labia minora are removed. After hearing a description of infibulation (in which the vagina is sewn closed or narrowed),the excisers commented that "only the Peuhl do that." They also explained that there is no strict rule concerning what genital tissue to remove, and that the exciser decides. No anesthetic is given to the girls, although some traditional medicines are used. One of the women helping to translate explained to Asst Poloff that if the family prefers anesthetic, they will take their daughters to the hospital for "coiffage" (a phrase which translates roughly to getting one's hair done). "Coiffage" is performed by nurses or other medical practitioners who generally use anesthetic and remove only the clitoris. -------------- THE ROLE OF SORCERY -------------- ¶5. (U) The excisers balked when questioned about the role of men in the practice of excision. The younger exciser explained that men would not "dare" involve themselves in the domain of women. She noted that female and male ceremonies are kept entirely separate, and that the consequences of not keeping them distinct are serious. The older exciser recounted a story of a man who had accidentally witnessed an excision while walking in the forest. After describing to his fellow villagers what he had seen, he was afflicted by a sorcerer with a swollen belly, as if pregnant, and reportedly died shortly thereafter. ¶6. (U) When asked about the frequency of medical complications during an excision, the women admitted that hemorrhages and infections happen occasionally, but that deaths are rare. They then explained that the cases of deaths are due either to a sorcerer having been present at the excision or to the girl having been a sorcerer herself. The older exciser claimed that sorcerers often attend excisions uninvited, which is why the exact time and date of an excision must be kept secret. The threat of sorcery is also why there are only one or two women in a village that CONAKRY 00000208 002 OF 002 perform excision and why the practice is often passed on from mother to daughter; the women who perform excision also know the secrets of combating sorcery. For example, during a recent excision, a snake curled up in the girl's blood. It was the exciser's own powers that kept the snake, which was believed to be a sorcerer in spirit form, from biting the girl. -------------- WHO HOLDS THE KNIFE -------------- ¶7. (U) The women maintained that the rationale for the continued practice of excision was simply African custom. The women noted that girls who are not excised are made fun of by other children and often excluded from play and activities. The younger exciser felt that it is important to educate both parents and youth about the dangers of excision, but that it is insufficient to eliminate the practice. She claimed eliminating the practice would be difficult primarily because excisers would need other sources of revenue. Noting that several villages around Guekedou had renounced excision because the women performing it had been provided with another means of living, she argued that "all problems center around those who hold the knife." If no one will perform it, then it does not matter if families want their girls to be excised. However, the older exciser disagreed. She compared excision to abortion, noting that there will always be someone willing to perform the procedure. Indeed, she said that if asked by a parent, she would excise the girl even if she had another means of living. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶7. (U) The women spoke willingly and frankly about the practice of excision. Although the younger women present seemed knowledgeable about the movement to end the practice and open to its abandonment, the older exciser was clearly skeptical and committed to continuing the practice. The extent to which a belief in sorcery plays a role in their lives, and in the ceremony itself, was striking, indicating that any education strategy that does not address this aspect might not succeed. The women confirmed that men are actively excluded from the practice, which suggests that involving them is key to combating the practice. The women also supported providing the practitioners with another means of employment as an effective way to end FGM. RASPOLIC