The Sudanese Refugee community in Uganda has united to speak out against female genital mutilation (FGM), a cultural practice that has forced many to flee their homeland. FGM profoundly impacts the lives of young and older women, creating a damaging mindset.
Saida Samar, 28, shared her painful experience. “FGM is very bad; it affects us a lot as women, and during sex, it worsens. The pain is too much. I’m a single mother of four, and I’m single because I couldn’t endure the pain during sex with my husband.”
Abdalla Bassma, a victim of FGM, recounted her harrowing experience. “It has been a terrible experience for me; I suffered from bleeding and almost died. Even though my father refused, they did what they did to me, and I was bleeding. My father took me to the hospital, and the doctor helped me recover, but I still suffer from trauma till today.”
Bassma noted that myths surround this practice, with some believing it reserves virginity. “In the community, some youths and families think that the girl who has gone through FGM can reserve her virginity more than the girl who hasn’t. They believe that a girl who hasn’t gone through FGM is not pure and is at risk of losing her virginity, making her unsuitable for marriage. This stigma affects little girls, who are often traumatized by their peers in school and playgrounds.”
Bassma explained that the consequences of FGM haunt them for life, resurfacing with each menstrual period and during childbirth. “The discomfort is often unbearable.”
Emmanuella Iggale, a registered Sudanese refugee, stated that FGM encourages early marriages. “When a girl gets her period, they make a celebration, informing the community she’s now a woman, opening room for suitors to ask for her hand in marriage. These suitors can be 30, 40, or 50 years old; it doesn’t matter, as long as they come with a bride price – cows and money. The girl’s family, often in need, gives her up for marriage, regardless of age.”
Salih Idris Adam, chairman of the Sudanese Refugee community, confirmed FGM’s prevalence and their efforts to end it, following Ugandan law. “We are following Ugandan law because we don’t want our people to be against the law. This practice takes lives, which is why we have come forward to fight it.”
Victims urge the government and civil society organizations to lead the campaign to eradicate FGM, emphasizing the need for greater awareness. “Awareness is the most important thing; people should know FGM has no positive effects on girls. It’s endless suffering from the day she starts practicing it until the last day of her life.”
Uganda has taken significant steps to eradicate FGM, evidenced by the 2010 FGM Act. However, victims call for amendments to the law, emphasizing inadequate whistleblower protection.
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