The word infibulation might be foreign to you but it’s a thing and its meaning will leave your heart broken. I came across the word years ago while doing a research on female circumcision for a Radio Programme production but did not pay much attention to it as the conversation dealt only on the surface with respect to the subject. However, yesterday, I was reminded of this again by a post shared by Ife of DangLifestyle.

Her caption on Instagram read:

“This is called infibulation: the most severe form of Female genital mutilation. It is the complete scraping of the vagina and its enclosure to prevent the girl from having sex, they leave a little hole for the girl so that she has her period and urinates. They then tie their legs with a rope for days so that the wound can heal, it usually takes 15 to 40 days, the girl remains tied, unable to move. Basically the stitches are reopened by her husband on the wedding day so that he can have intimate relationships with her. At birth women must be cut again because the opening of the vagina is too small for the passage of the baby. Imagine the pain, the trauma ….. Such monstrous and cannibalistic practices still exist all over the world. To Share this is the least you can do. Most people don’t even know what it is or the horror that still exists. Please share If you’re choked at first after reading this. These people don’t need your pity they need help, they need people to speak for them, and take their voices that cannot be heard out to the world. This is still practiced in Sub-Saharan Africa and some Arab states.”

Female infibulation also known as Type III Female genital Mutilation (FGM) is a ritual removal of the external female genitalia and the structuring of the vulva.

In the comment section of the above post, an Instagram user confirmed that this practice in Sudan goes as far as giving a husband the right to stitch his wife if for any reason he is traveling for a long period of time. It is hard to read, even harder to imagine. This is why it comes off as very evil and annoying when people attack the movement called feminism based on mundane and selfish gender roles bothered on who cooks/cleans the house or who pays the bill on a date when Feminism has got bigger battles to fight and concentrate on.

Too often, the message the girl child receives about her body is the need to keep it, groom to perfection and at the service of a man. The need to tame and control the sexuality of the female gender has led to all forms of atrocities against the very gender with the sole ability to reproduce. The funny part for me has got to be the crazy switch to idolization when the same girl child grows into a mother with grown children, then there is a need to listen to her, treat her like a Queen and declare her incomparable to any other. The same woman whose life and choices meant nothing to the society. So the plan is simply tame her, control her, kill her dreams, make her feel less for the better part of her living and suddenly, she has suffered enough to earn respect.

Despite female genital mutilation (FGM) being recognized, internationally, as human right violation, an estimated 68million girls will be cut between 2015 and 2030. SIXTY EIGHT MILLION!

This practice which predates Christianity and Islam arises from gender inequality and is practiced and supported by both men and women without question. The effect of female genital mutilation vary depending on the type performed. FGM has been associated with medical, sociocultural and economic consequences. Some of the health consequences include psychological and psychosexual disorder. Elimination of this practice is possible and there is nothing like safe Female genital mutilation. The practice should be stopped.

Please share this post or the information therein as much as you can. That’s the least we can do as one of the recognized ways to help stop female genital mutilation is by raising awareness.