Shaimaa and Karima: Women Make the Change
Shaimaa and Karima, two young women who grew up uncircumcised in the full knowledge of their rural community, are now happily married and live good lives. Their case is the perceptible result of the initiatives taken up in their community in Duweina (Assiut) to promote attitudinal change against the practice of FGM/C in Egypt Behind FGM/C lies the traditional belief that by removing parts of girls' external genitals organs, sexual desire is minimized, thus allowing a female who has reached the age of puberty to protect her virginity before marriage, and therefore her honour. FGM/C is also regarded an important criterion for marriage prospects for girls. Since the launch of the national campaign against FGM/C in 2002, UNICEF has been working with a local NGO, Assiut Childhood and Development (ACDA) to manage and implement a community mobilization program against the practice of FGM/C, in 5 villages in Assiut, one village being Duweima where the two girls live. ACDA’s strategy is to empower local community activists and “positive deviants” - individuals who decided to stand against the practice - to undertake a variety of community awareness-raising activities to educate people on the harmful effects of FGM/C and persuade them to abandon the practice. From the very first day, Karima’s family refused to listen to the team from the local NGO and to the community activists, declaring “This is a religious command and an important social custom that we honor, so do not try to open this subject with us”. However, she attended a number of awareness sessions and was explained the negative consequences of FGM/C by the medical doctor and the sheikh of the village. As part of their visits to families with girls at risk, the field workers and community activists conducted several home visits to Karima’ family and continue giving messages on the harmful practice against the girl child.
Gradually Karima’s mother began to speak out. Remembering the very day when as a young girl she had to endure the cutting process, she said “I will never forget that black day” Finally convinced, she declared “I will never circumcise Karima”. Shaimaa, a 12 years old girl who attended several small awareness sessions, learned about the harmful consequences of FMG/C and decided to resist to being cut. But because of her young age, Shaimaa could not challenge her family on her own and needed support. This came through the community activists who conducted several visits to her father to convince him to change his mind. Like in Karima’s case, the father resisted at the beginning, but with perseverance and constant dialogue, the advocacy groups finally succeeded and he also agreed not to circumcise his young daughter. As they were growing up, Karima and Shaimaa’s families were constantly visited by the community mobilization team to make sure that the parents’ attitudes had not changed. Furthermore, the parents of the two girls announced to their community their decision not to circumcise their daughters. This was a very courageous step, especially in rural Egypt.
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