DFID have issued a consultation on their strategy for maternal health.
I was so heartened when I filled out their short survey that there was a question about “taboo” issues that affect maternal health. It asks whether the UK Government should focus on female genital mutilation/cutting. If you feel so inclined, please click here to go to the DFID site and answer their short survey.
There are many reasons why Orchid wants to make the link between FGC and maternal mortality and child health more explicit. This quote illustrates it well:
Tadeletch had performed FGM/C on girls for 15 years and underwent the procedure herself as a girl, with devastating consequences. “I lost seven of my nine children in childbirth,” she said. “Because of the scarring I sustained, I was not elastic enough. All seven of them suffocated inside my womb.”
Tadeletch Shanko is no longer a supporter of FGM/C as a result of a series of community dialogues on the physical and psychological harm caused by the practice.” Tezeta Tulloch, UNICEF
So you can see how FGC affects women and children directly. FGC also affects newborn health in a direct way. When I was in Addis, I spoke with a woman who had taken her two-week old baby boy for a check up at her clinic. Sitting with her were eight other women, who had baby girls of the same age. She told me that the nurse popped her head around the door and said:
“I hope that none of you have cut your girls.” Silence.
“How many of you have cut your girls?” More silence.
“Have all of you cut your girls?” Eyes to the floor.
All eight women had indeed followed their local tradition of cutting their girls at nine days old.
By making this issue more mainstream, we can start dispelling its taboo status. Please vote in the survey and show DFID how much we care!
