Ethiopia and the Clitoris: Power, Pleasure, and Pain

Giorgia Okeefe

The practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) has been around for centuries and is not specific to any one religious or ethnic group.  It is believed to have originated in Egypt during the Pharonic period because the earliest known records documenting it are found there. It is now present all over Africa, in parts of the middle-east, and even among immigrant communities in Europe and The United States. Ethiopia has one of the highest rates of FGM in the world. The World Health Organization and UNICEF report that approximately 74% of women in Ethiopia have undergone FGM, and that in most rural areas it is almost universal (97%-100%). FGM correlates with higher rates of HIV infection and infant mortality. In the World Health Organization’s collaborative study, “Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Obstetric Outcome”, the immediate and long-term consequences of this practice are reported. Immediate consequences can include excessive bleeding, urinary tract infection, HIV infection, and death. The long-term consequences are possibly even more alarming, and often include chronic pain, persistent infections, cysts and abscesses, decreased sexual enjoyment, infertility, fistula, and dangers in childbirth. Studies show that women who have undergone FGM have higher rates of infant mortality and a high incidence of post-partum hemorrhaging. Hemorrhaging and fistula are especially life-threatening complications for women in rural and without skilled birth attendants.

In different cultures you find different theories behind the practice of FGM. In my reading on the subject I have come across some amazing justifications. Some rural communities in Africa say that if the clitoris is not removed it will secrete fluids that harm babies during birth, or that the clitoris will continue to grow, not externally but internally, up through the body until it stabs you in the brain and kills you. These examples are obviously extreme and not the norm, but never the less, they’re out there. Other cultures say that clitoral cutting is a rite of passage for girls transitioning into womanhood, and liken it to male circumcision. The social and theoretical particulars of FGM are diverse. Those wishing to understand and end the practice face the challenge of finding the common threads supporting FGM as well as the orientation unique to the community they’re working in.

So what beliefs are behind FGM here in Ethiopia? I am incredibly curious and have been taking advantage of opportunities to ask questions about it since my arrival. Ethiopia has only just classified FGM as a “Harmful Traditional Practice” and illegalized it in 2004. It is still incredibly prevalent throughout the country, even in urban areas, and is extremely taboo to speak of. However, I have met people open enough to share some stories with me and I have had the fortune of working with Teshome Segni of ICEDA who has been active in the field of harmful traditional practices for many years. The following is a recounting of theories and stories that have been told to me.

“A woman must be circumcised or else she will break things, things like cups and dishes. She will be too high strung and clumsy. Also, she is likely to beat her husband.”

The idea is that a woman’s clitoris is a source of power that women should not be allowed to have. The power of the clitoris will infuse her with such strength that she will not be able to control her simplest movements (breaking cups) and will act out aggressively towards men (beating husbands). Teshome told me a story about one of his visits to the rural region ICEDA works in. He was speaking to a group of women and they told him an interesting story:

“A woman from a different tribe and area had moved into their village. She married a man and now lived among them. The women of the village were concerned, saying that there was something wrong with her. She was very assertive and aggressive. They said that when her husband would get in disagreements with other men she would defend him with force, hitting the other men. The women thought that the only explanation for this problem could be that this woman still had her clitoris. So, they all conspired to find out if that was indeed the case. At the next women’s gathering the women jumped on the unsuspecting foreigner, held her down, and ripped up her skirts. To their surprise though, she was circumcised just like them.”

Teshome let out a grin and a hooping laugh as he finished this story. I laughed with him, at its ridiculousness and the ironic ending. Really though, our eyes communicated what a deeply troubling tale it was.

The other reason for FGM has to do with fidelity and pleasure. It is believed that an uncircumcised woman will not be able to remain faithful to her husband, and that sexual pleasure is only for men. Men fear that if a woman is allowed to experience the pleasure her clitoris brings she will not stay with him. Families worry that if they don’t circumcise their daughters they will not be able to stay in their marriage, bringing a lot of problems and shame to the family. Circumcision is meant to strip women of their power and remove any potential for sexual pleasure. A good woman then, is one that engages in intercourse only for her husband’s pleasure and to produce children. She should not show or experience any enjoyment during the act.

BBC has produced a reality TV series called Tribal Wives which films the experiences of European women living among tribal peoples for a month. The other night I watched one of their episodes that takes place here in Ethiopia in the Afar tribe who practice the most extreme form of FGM, total infibulation. Infibulation includes the removal of the clitoris and the labia minora. Once all of this is scraped off, the vaginal opening is sewn shut, leaving only a small hole at the bottom for urine and menstrual blood to pass through. I don’t think we can even imagine the pain and suffering these women endure. It is estimated that 1 in 12 women in this region die during child birth. In the show, the European woman asks the Afar women what this is like and why they continue the practice. They tell her that it causes them a lot of pain and problems during childbirth, but that they must continue because of the men. If they don’t do it the men will think that they are having sex all the time and won’t accept them. Because of the men’s fear and aggression (wife beating is common place here) infibulation is necessary for their survival, even though it might kill them.

I have not heard FGM in Ethiopia referred to as a rite of passage for women. It is always explained as a removal of power and pleasure no matter how much pain results. It is about male fear and insecurity. When I asked one man about the origins of FGM he said that it began with a very fearful man who had a very beautiful woman. What does this statement say aboutmen and gender relations in Ethiopian?

In addition to having high rates of FGM, Ethiopia also has high rates of domestic violence (wife beating). Women are expected to labor day in and day out yet female strength is not valued. Maternal mortality is through the roof yet women are pressured to continue the practice of  FGM. Men want their communities to prosper and the country to develop. But if only they saw that in order for a society to be healthy, women must be healthy. If only they saw that it is in their best interest to nurture and empower women, that this is essential to development. I think these things whenever I see a young pregnant woman carrying huge jugs of water down the streets as men sit under trees or on corners, conversing or playing cards. I think these things whenever I see little girls, I wonder if she will go to school, if someone has cut her, if someone beats her, if someone rapes her. I worry about the girls I see, beautiful, gentle and kind. What will happen to them? When will men stop being afraid of women, and when will they stop the violence and abuse?

I realize that the attitude of this post may come off as rather pessimistic and negative. Don’t get me wrong. Things are improving, slowly but surely. And there are many men and women in Ethiopia working to promote gender equality and end violence. I am inspired and moved by these people and their work. Toppling practices and theories that have remained strong for centuries is no easy task. It takes courage, compassion, and I suppose a lot of patience.

 

ICEDA and the Struggle to End Harmful Traditional Practices

Because of my interest in female genital mutilation (FGM), one of the first people that Cheryl, the Director at Ethiopia’s Institute of International Education office, suggested that I work with was Teshome Segni. He is an open, compassionate, and warm hearted man who has been working on FGM and other harmful traditional practices for many years. His organization is called the Integrated Community Education Development Association (ICEDA). Their mission is to improve the lives of Ethiopian people through the promotion of education, especially for girls, and the elimination of harmful traditional practices such as FGM, early marriage, and abduction. They focus on rural areas in the Oromo region around Addis Ababa. ICEDA sees the creation of a safe living and learning environment for girls as one of its main tasks. I am working with ICEDA to find ways that information communication technology can be utilized to further their work and build their capacity.

Background

In ICEDA’s target region illiteracy in general and especially among girls is extremely high. Girls are circumcised between age 3 and 10. They are often married between age 11 and 13. Abduction and rape of girls around this age is rampant. Sex education is non-existent. All of these factors and more contribute to the dropout rate of girls from primary school. Even menstruation is a major contributor. Girls have no understanding of menstruation before it comes, and no access to sanitary supplies. When their first cycle comes many girls stay home and don’t return. Teshome Segni has been working tirelessly to improve conditions for girls, women, and society as a whole. ICEDA’s methods are diverse and they are still coming up with new plans and initiatives. They build schools, establish girls clubs and mother’s forums, organize campaigns, hold public events, provide trainings, and offer services and protection to girls.

Girls Clubs:

One of ICEDA’s strategies is to work in collaboration with female teachers to establish a girls club in each of the primary schools in the region. The teachers are trained in reproductive health and the dangers of practices like FGM and early marriage. They serve as facilitators for the clubs and as a resource for the girls. The clubs provide a place where girls can speak openly about issues of sexuality and learn about reproductive health. Speaking about these topics in Ethiopian society is still extremely taboo. These school clubs are really the only place that girls can break their silences and get the information they need. The teachers let them know that FGM is illegal and extremely detrimental to their health and well being, and that they have the right to remain in school and to refuse early marriage. These messages completely contradict what girls are learning at home. This makes education a tough task, but Teshome remains optimistic. Many parents, he says, are beginning to listen and learn from children. Slowly but surely, he has seen changes in behaviors and attitudes. The girls clubs also give children a place to report planned abductions and female circumcisions. Abduction of girls aged 9-13 is an extremely common occurrence. Often times the abducting man will have seen and interacted with the girl and sometimes the girl becomes aware that he is planning something. They report this to their teacher/club facilitator and she reports it to the authorities. Girls also make anonymous reports about the scheduled time and place of female circumcisions, and about the women who perform them.

Women’s Forums:

These forums have been established in almost all of the villages in ICEDA’s target region. The idea is similar to the girls clubs in that ICEDA places a collaborator, a woman who has had training and stands behind their mission, in the forum group. This woman is there to encourage discussion of taboo subjects that would not normally be brought up. She doesn’t lecture or “teach”. What the group does is provide a space for women to share experiences and debate the value of traditional practices such as FGM and early marriage.

The women’s forums began as a place for discussion of reproductive health and other issues of concern, but in many villages have grown into much more. The women have established money pooling systems for asset accumulation. Every month each woman will put in a small amount of money which will be used to purchase a female goat or even a cow for one of the forum members. Each month a different woman is chosen and the money cycles through the group. On the surface this activity may seem unrelated to discussions of reproductive health, but it is in fact very connected. The vast majority of these women have no assets or possessions to their name. Everything is owned by their husbands and if they were to divorce the woman would be left with nothing. In this society, gaining ownership of even one goat is a big deal. It gives them greater possibilities of independence, and earns them more respect from their husbands and their community. This activity can be incredibly empowering for women, and give greater weight to their voice on issues of sexuality and education.

ICEDA & ICT

ICEDA is involved in so many projects and does it all with minimal resources. Their staff is all volunteer. Many of them are extremely educated professionals (some having Master’s degrees) but people with skills in information communication technology are hard to come by. Currently they are collecting lots of data from their target region but have no computerized collection system. The reports they receive are glanced over then filed away in binders at their main office. This makes tracking trends and producing reports very difficult. One of my projects with ICEDA is to design a couple databases to help alleviate this problem.

ICEDA wants to raise awareness about the issues they work with and make more connections with other organizations, particularly international NGOs. ICEDA has a website but because it is so difficult and costly to update, it doesn’t really reflect their current work. I am introducing them to Blogging and helping them set up a blog site. This will give them a webpage they can quickly update in-house for free. An up to date web presence will help ICEDA raise awareness and build relationships with other orgs and individuals. When we are done constructing their site I will make sure to share it will all of you.

There is much more to say about ICEDA but I will have to close for now. I hope this introduction gives you a sense of their work and how I am getting involved.

Till next time,

Jyesha

 

Impressions of Addis

Hello everyone. Addis Ababa, wow, what a city. It is situated in Ethiopia’s central highlands. Surrounding the city you find the beautiful and green Entoto Mountains, lush wetlands, ancient forests, rock hewn churches, many natural hot-springs, and much more. The hot-springs are actually said to have been the reason for the city’s location. Emperor Menelik II’s wife loved them and insisted that he build his new city here in 1887. The city’s surroundings definitely contradict the common image that American media has presented of Ethiopia over the last few decades; as just a dry, baron land overwhelmed by constant famine and disease. It is true that Ethiopia has had many terrible famines and lacks sufficient water, but the country is actually incredible diverse climatically, geographically, and culturally. From the Rift Valley lakes in the South to the Blue Nile Falls in the North, Ethiopia has many unexpected wonders.

They claim that the country has 13 months of sunshine. Unfortunately I’ve come during their rainy season so that statement seems a little misleading. The sun comes out for short stretches of time but the weather is generally cold, cloudy (maybe more so in the city because of the pollution), and storming. And when I stay storming I mean pouring rain, lightening, and thunder. This weather makes it hard for a newcomer like me to explore and learn my way around the city, which is difficult enough as it is. There are no maps with any kind of detail for the city and there is also no such thing as addresses. Everyone just describes their location in reference to some landmark or other building.  I try to walk as much as I can so that I can familiarize myself enough to locate things. After almost three weeks of being here I finally starting to understand the layout around my house and work.

Today Addis is one of the fastest growing cities in Africa and boasts 3 million residents. My Ethiopia guidebook says that most people, even those who have spent time in developing countries, are at first overwhelmed and put off by Addis. I must admit that I felt the same that first week that I arrived. The poverty and pollution is extreme and the streets are full of hawkers, cripples, and desperately needy people asking for money. On my walk to work my first day I passed tons of single mothers with babies, sitting on the roadside with a few coins at their feet. I passed many polio suffers whose bodies have been crippled and contorted in ways I could never imagine, people going blind with flies picking at the mucus in their eyes, and so, so many children, mostly orphans, with nothing and no one. A girl, a baby really, who must have been no more than three years old tried to sell me tissue on the roadside. I wasn’t surprised by all the older children selling things like tissue and chewing gum in the streets but she really did shock me. I just looked at her as she extended her hand and mumbled something that sounded more like baby babble than Amharic (Ethiopia’s national language). Moments like this make it hard to keep my spirits up. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to what I see on the streets here. The only thing that has made me feel any better about it is being able to share with them. Now I always keep a wad of single birr notes in my pocket to give to the people that I pass. There are many of them along the road to my office so I end up pausing to give a birr every few feet. This usually attracts a lot of attention. I see other passersby looking at me, probably thinking what a silly foreigner I am, but the warmth and appreciation that comes into the eyes of those that I share with is worth it.

Now that I have been in the city for a couple of weeks I am more able to relax and appreciate what an interesting city Addis Ababa is. The people are very kind. Ethiopians have a reputation of being shy but once you break the ice they are generally very warm and inquisitive. The city is very safe, which is amazing considering the large population and extreme magnitude of poverty. I have done a lot of walking about, day and night, and never once feared for my safety. Violent street crimes are virtually unheard of. The most common crimes are pick pocketing and this coffee ceremony scam that is run on foreigners. The scam goes a little something like this: An individual, or group of foreigners, are out on the town and they are approached by a very friendly Ethiopian who begins chatting them up. The Ethiopian invites them either to a celebration of some kind or to check out some traditional dancing. The foreigners agree and are taken to either a bar or a private residence. They are greeted by lots of Ethiopians, there is some dancing, coffee or drinks are served, and at the end of the production a ridiculously huge bill is handed to the foreigners (sometimes as high as $300 USD). Even though the foreigners could just refuse to pay and walk out (they are not being threatened with violence or weapons), they almost always pay.

Anyway, I will say that I am enjoying this city and meeting lots of really great people. My next posts will delve into the work I’m doing here in reproductive health and ICT. Thank you all for visiting my blog and I look forward to your comments!

 

Hello world!

As most of you already know, I will be in Ethiopia for the summer working with an NGO on information communication technology (ICT) and reproductive health. In an effort to update my tech skills and keep in touch with all of you, I have created this blog. I can’t promise it will be an enthralling read, but I’ll try to keep it at least mildly interesting. Thanks to all of you in advance for your support!