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.

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THE EXCISION PROCESS
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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.

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THE ROLE OF SORCERY
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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.

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WHO HOLDS THE KNIFE
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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.

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COMMENT
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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