Female Genital Mutilation

Where I come from, there’s no such thing like religion.

Stand-up-for-your-rights Competition

BBC Outlook, inspired by Wu Ping who defended her building against developers in the Chinese city of Chongqing, organized Stand-Up-For-Your-Rights competition. British journalist and campaigner George Monbiot judged the competition and selected the entry by Cyril Ebie from Cameroon as the overall winner.

Ebie described how he defended her sister and prevented her from undertaking female genital mutilation - an act that forced him to leave the family home with his sister for 9 months.

Join the discussion!!! and read the entry bellow:

by Cyril Ebie from Camerron

It is a small settlement bounded by loads of superstition and barbarism, especially female genital mutilation.

I recently heard a debate on the national radio condemning this practice as bad.

Before I watched this program, I'd been made to believe from childhood that it was an act of virtue to a woman, thus obligatory to every girl child.

I mourned and grieved after that show because my two elder sisters had been mutilated out of ignorance.

I therefore informed my parents with a long cue of reasons, I gathered from the show.

I convinced them to decease from the practice.

They cursed my approach and refused my every word.

I was desperate and restless because my Dad assured me they would soon mutilate my kid sister for she’s come of age.

So I decided to let my kid sister know about it even If it meant educating her on the disadvantages.

I was stunned when I approached her and discovered she was dying softly of the same pain. She had listened to that same program but never knew who to confide in.

I promised I would fight for her. I allied with my sisters and we confronted our parents.

I told my father we were going to run away if they insisted on mutilating her, but they never took us serious.

So at night, I escaped with my kid sister.

We made our elder sisters promise not to tell our father where we’ve gone. We stayed with a friend of mine in the city for nine whole months.

One day, one of my sisters visited us and talked us to come home. We resisted, and then she told us everything.

My father had visited the council of elders to complain about the practice and how he lost his only son because he was trying to free the sister.

Tongue-tight elders could now speak-out. The youths protested and demonstrated at the palace.

When our Fon saw that it was inevitable, he put a stop to it. Everyone was relieved especially the girls.

When we returned home, my Dad was delighted.

He told me I deserved the honour given to him. The truth is; they paid tribute to him for having spearheaded the uprising.

He poured palm wine on my head, and then blessed me.

I was pleased because by standing for my sister’s right, I saved the lives of all the girls living in our small farm settlement of Mbemi.