12 April, 2008

Melran C. Nicol-Wilson, Barrister and Solicitor

Lawyers Centre for Legal Assistance (LA WCLA)

Addressing Female Genital Mutilation without Human Rights: My Experience

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is normally considered by Human Rights Activists an act of violence against women and girls and a Human Rights violation. But it is also a cultural tradition, deeply rooted in religious and social convictions, and ensures marriage prospects for girls and young women. Many who choose to deviate from other patriarchal social norms accept FGM because there is tremendous social pressure to go through with the practice. Also many young girls have no choice as the practice is imposed on them by their parents.

Simply condemning FGM as inhumane, or a Human Rights abuse, does little to stop it. In a Country like Senegal for instance the passing of a law to stop FGM did not reduce the practice. In my recent discussions with local women in Makeni, I have found it more effective to avoid the cultural and religious rationales of the practice and instead concentrate on the associated health rather than Human Rights arguments as justifications for resisting long-standing practices. A rights-based approach, on the other hand, which claims that a woman's culture violates her and her daughters' civil rights, is difficult for her to understand and controversial to accept.

Using the health approach to work toward the eradication of FGM requires a lot of patience, particularly as one is often dealing with uninformed and uneducated women. One argument women in Makeni presented to me is that FGM is the same as male circumcision: boys are circumcised, therefore girls should be too. I counter such thinking by pointing out that FGM is usually performed man rights language because it is a comparatively less culturally entrenched issue than is FGM.

Patriarchy in Sierra Leone runs deep and wife beating is culturally sanctioned, but domestic violence is not a community-wide celebration and female rite of passage as is FGM. When addressing domestic violence among groups of women, I begin by defining basic Human Rights and explaining the protections offered at the local, regional, and global levels. I then teach them about more specific topics such as violence against women, inequality, and Human Tights tools and treaties such as the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). I often ask the women to talk about their status within the family and how they are treated. Then, using their experiences, I point out examples of the concepts I have already explained and the specific Human Right that is being violated, such as the right to human dignity or the right to freedom from torture and degrading treatment. The women are usually surprised. I remember one woman in particular in Kailahun who was astonished to learn that when her husband beat her and refused her food, he was violating both national law and international Human Rights treaties. She had thought that this was just a part of marriage, but now she knows it is wrong.

I have found that being an educated, male Siena Leonean greatly helps my cause, whether I am discussing FGM or other women's rights issues. Because women's rights are usually violated by men, the women are more open to arguments against such behavior coming from one of these men, and they believe that a man advocating their rights will be more effective in changing the attitudes of other men within the community

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