What's the best approach to curb female genital mutilation?

An estimated 120 to 140 million women have been subject to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) and 3 million girls continue to be at risk each year, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a statement on the International Day against Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting.

UNICEF said on 6 February 2010 that there had been progress in tackling this issue that many international organisations view as a harmful practice against women.

I suppose such progress would include a recent decision by Mauritainian Muslim Imams to ban the practice. But how effective are such decisions and what are the best methods of tackling this issue. The following article by George Fominyen originally posted on Reuters AlertNet attempts an answer.

Mauritanian Muslim imams initiate rare ban on female circumcision

Human rights campaigners who have been struggling for years to eliminate female genital mutilation (FGM) in West Africa got a boost this week as news emerged that a group of Muslim clerics and scholars in Mauritania had declared a fatwa, or religious decree, against the practice.

The centuries-old practice involves removing part or all of a girl's clitoris and labia, and sometimes narrowing the vaginal opening. About 72 percent of the women in Mauritania have undergone FGM which health workers say often causes severe bleeding, problems urinating and potential complications during childbirth.

"Are there texts in the Koran that clearly require that thing? They do not exist," the secretary general of the Forum of Islamic Thought in Mauritania, Cheikh Ould Zein, told Reuters.

"On the contrary, Islam is clearly against any action that has negative effects on health. Now that doctors in Mauritania unanimously say that this practice threatens health, it is therefore clear that Islam is against it," he added.

In many parts of West Africa, FGM has been presented as a religious obligation for practising Muslim women, leading most to believe that if they are not circumcised they are unclean and their prayers will not be heard. Which makes the decision by 34 imams and scholars -- supported by the government of Mauritania and UNICEF, the United Nations' children's agency -- all the more unusual.

"The fact that the religious leaders in Mauritania are standing up and doing this is quite amazing. It shows how concerned Islam and the religion of Islam is about the health of women," said Molly Melching, executive director of Tostan, a Senegal-based organisation that has been working with 30 communities in Mauritania on FGM and rights issues.

MORE DECREES TO COME?

UNICEF estimates that 3 million girls and women are cut each year across communities in 28 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle-East. So, what is the likelihood of seeing similar bans on female circumcision in other countries?

Well, it's hard to say.

A fatwa in itself is generally binding only to those who follow a particular imam, so communities could be subject to contradictory decrees. Moreover, not all the communities in the other countries of sub-Saharan Africa where the practice continues are Muslim -- reflecting the fact that, as a longstanding cultural practice, FGM may be hard to end especially when campaigners use judgmental approaches.

"In the past, people have gone into communities and simply told them to stop this practice because it is bad and they display pictures of naked women and their reproductive organs in communities where this is shocking," Melching said.

Many organisations including Tostan and Save the Children believe this approach failed to stop the practice because it ignored the cultural context in which the targeted communities were living.

"I once asked a community: 'do you have the right to cut somebody's hand?' They said no. 'Do you have the right to cut somebody's head or foot?' They said no. So why do you cut somebody's sexual organ?" said Ame Atsu David, a former regional programme coordinator for HIV and harmful traditional practices of Save the Children (Sweden) in West Africa.

"This got them thinking," she told AlertNet. Many campaigners back an approach which involves human rights, education, community development, health care and leaves the decision to the communities themselves.

A Save the Children-backed campaign run by the Mali Centre Djoliba based on this approach has seen 40 villages abandon female circumcision and set up community groups to oversee the implementation of the decision in a country where over 80 percent of the women have experienced FGM.

In Senegal, 4,121 villages have abandoned FGM since 1997 with the support of Tostan whose work has been praised by U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, and has also contributed to a law against FGM which was passed in the country in 1999.

"But a law is not what will change a social norm. For it to be sustainable it has to come from the people, a decision made by the people, because they really believe in it," Melching said. "The key is empowering people to make their own decisions but with good information," she told AlertNet. (Additional reporting by Laurent Prieur in Nouakchott)

Happy New Year!

By Mabi Azefor Fominyen

Huraaaaaah! Another year begins!

It's 2010!

It's a moment to extend my best wishes to all of you who visit Mabi's World.

May it be a wonderful year for you and yours!

Moving With The Changing Times!

By Mabi Azefor Fominyen,

I'd like to start my second year of blogging by introducing what I'd love to call Mabi's Pick!

Could be an image, a podcast or a video: that depicts or portrays certain aspects of daily life in a community.

Here comes the first of such!

BARACK OBAMA - exercise books now on sale in Senegal.

Mabi's World Turns One !

By Mabi Azefor Fominyen

It has been a year since I launched Mabi’s World and posted my first blog.
I simply can’t believe how time flies.

What started timidly, especially given my little interest in ICT’s (at the time), has grown bigger than I ever imagined.

I have had some great experiences during this first year.

Mabi’s World has made me become IT Savvy; pushing me to improve my skills to the point of helping others start up blogs.

Interacting with fellow bloggers has been terrific! Reading about Mabi’s World from other blogs has been so heart-warming.

Mabi’s World has helped me speak about my passions: leadership, parenting, family, gender issues, arts & craft, my designs (De MABS DESIGN) etc. Sometimes I cooked on the blog; qt other times I celebrated the lives of people and mourned beloved ones.

This is different from writing journalistic reports & presenting on TV. It is multi-media: taking pictures, editing photos, uploading images, videos, podcasts and more.

Many of you have been to Mabi’s World, some have left comments and very worthy additions to issues posted on the blog. Others, follow my blog regularly.
I am deeply indebted to all of you! You all make part of Mabi’s World. Thanks immensely !

Let’s all see what lies ahead on Mabi’s World.

Mom & Daughter Home-made Cookies!

By Mabi Azefor Fominyen,

My first attempt to bake cookies at home turned out to be a pleasant one. Everyone at home enjoyed the cookies. Thereafter, I planned to bake more cookies but never really found the time to do so plus I had to buy cookie cutters to facilitate the cutting and shaping of the dough.


Luckily my daughter kept reminding me to do so. At last I bought the cookie cutters. She was over-joyed. "Mama you finally bought the cookie cutters ...thank you so much, I can't wait to see us using them!'' And so it was just time to make some more cookies!

My daughter and I used the same recipe I had used when I first made cookies at home. See AKWE'S CUISINE for the recipe. NB:: I added a zest of orange to enhance the flavour this time around.

Cutting out the different shapes and sizes was just lovely! Thanks to our cutters see how much cookies we made!


Enjoy our mom & daughter home-made cookies! We are using this 'candy-cookie-like container' to store our cookies so they stay longer and remain crunchy.

Honour Your Grandparents! Now and Always.

By Mabi Azefor Fominyen,

Grandparents' Day 2009 will be celebrated on September 13.

Our Grandparents are our pride, our heritage and key members of our families and communities. Little wonder therefore that a special day is set aside to honour and celebrate their lives. Their love and dedication to their grandchildren is beyond measure even though this is sometimes taken for granted.

In September last year(2008) I wrote an article on my blog on the role our Grandparents play in our homes/communities. On the occasion, I had one thing at the back of my mind -hence the title of the post "Don't You Think Grandma and Grandpa need a Break?"(Click here for the piece).

We may never be able to pay back Grandma or Grandpa for all she/he has done and has been to us, but we can make her/him know how much she/he is loved and thought of at all times and especially on GRANDPARENTS' DAY.


Here are some ideas on how to celebrate with long-distance Grandparents.


What's your idea?

(Images courtesy of http://www.clipartguide.com/)

What a moment with the kids at the Klub!

By Mabi Azefor Fominyen
It's been two weeks of fun with the kids at the Mabs' English Kids' Klub(MEKK). Eleven kids between the ages of 2-10 have taken part in our holiday programme.

0h my! I have been playing games & jumping around with the kids like never before, singing some of those favourite kids' songs(if you are happy and you know it clap your hands...)
drawing, painting, colouring as well as carrying out art and craft projects,

telling stories, teaching them the art of reading and public speaking, encouraging them to read as many books as possible, building team spirit among kids, testing their leadership abilities..... and all of these made me so proud, just like the other facilitators who gave me a big hand.

The kids have had a great time interacting with each other, doing the ABC soup, using tissue tubes to make pencil holders, making necklaces, designing paper shirts and ties, decorating the map of Africa, making party hats , crowns and many other items.

At the end of the programme, the kids showcased some of things they have learnt and designed while at the Klub and their parents were so thrilled. Like the kids, the parents all wished the programme could go on for a few more weeks.

This is another dream of mine that is gradually turning into reality:MABS ENGLISH KIDS' KLUB(MEKK). I sure would want to see this project grow, thus, giving a chance to many more kids to join in, share knowledge, gather new skills as well as put their talents into use and their imaginations to test.

(Kids building a puzzle)

I am most grateful to the parents, kids , facilitators and all who took part in the activites!