By: Nyima Sillah
Education is a priority for many girls but the majority of them in one way or another end up becoming victims of so many societal issues, including Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Mama Fatty (not her real name) is a living testament to a failed education due to FGM. Speaking to this medium, Mama said her grandmother was among the women who influenced her family and others to circumcise their children. She said her mother is an anti-FGM supporter and always tried to protect her girls. But her grandmother has other plans in mind.
“My younger sister and I were under the protection of my mother until she traveled to the United Kingdom. One month of her stay in the UK, my grandmother took us to the circumciser and we were circumcised,” she said as tears started to roll down her cheeks.
“This happened during my grade four third term examinations, and because of this, I could not continue the examination. The following academic year, I was advised to repeat grade four. It was difficult for me, especially seeing my peers in the next class ahead of me. Although I coped and went back to grade four, months later, I started having pain in my vulva and missing classes whenever the pain started. Gradually I realized that my days in school were minimal and my grandmother told me to stay home until I got healed to go back to school. This marked the end of my educational career.”
Mama’s predicament isn’t unique. Another survivor, Fatou Danso (not her real name), said her memories of FGM are still vivid as the challenges she grappled with after undergoing the practice forced her to quit school.
“I was circumcised at the age of 11, and this was after a heated push and pull between my father and my grandparents. My father’s culture firmly believes in female circumcision but with resistance from my grandparents on my mother’s side, they could not go ahead with the practice. This was the case until my grandfather passed away, and this topic was raised again. This time, they succeeded. I was in grade 5 then, and this experience changed my life. I could not tell any of my friends about what happened to me as it seemed strange and embarrassing to explain.
“I grew from a bold and sharp pupil to a quiet and timid girl. My grades dropped, and my mom was worried but there was nothing she could do. I stayed home for months and did not feel the same anymore because I was traumatized and always lost concentration during classes. So, my mother took me to the village for treatment and I never returned home to continue my schooling.”
Low sensitization as an issue
The National Coordinator of the Network against Gender-Based Violence (NGBV), Fallu Sowe, pointed out that FGM affects the reproductive health of the girl-child particularly type II and III which are more prevalent in The Gambia. This, he said, can make adolescent girls miss classes due to reproductive health problems.
“The level of sensitization on the impact of FGM on the education of girls is very low because many people don’t even know that there is a relation between the effects of FGM and the education of girls,” he said.
Activist Sowe disclosed that many survivors of FGM were seriously re-traumatized by FGM discussion before the ban was maintained which could have a psychological impact on them. In turn, he said this can affect their level of attention in class during lessons.
But that’s not the only issue. The Gambian rights activist said girls from non-practicing cultures may be affected because their peers and teachers from practicing cultures may be calling them names like “Solima”—a Mandinka word used against an uncircumcised person.
“This is insulting to them and can prevent some girls from going to school to avoid the embarrassment and bullying by their peers,” he explained.
Teachers’ observations
Matis Bass, a teacher with over a decade of experience, said throughout his experience in the field of teaching, FGM has caused a lot of havoc on female students.
“FGM causes frequent absenteeism which can lead to poor performance of the child because if you don’t attend school regularly it will affect your classes and when exams come your performance will be affected.
“It also causes school dropouts due to lack of concentration, pain, and poor performance. They also lack self-esteem because they are always silent even when speaking on other subject matters. So it’s like when they are cut, it reduces them to nothing,” he said.
Another teacher, Isatou DH Camara, added that FGM can hinder and even end school-going girls’ education due to the snags suffered by girls following the practice. She said these snags include health issues they face during the process of cutting such as pain and distress they encounter throughout the process.
“Students that undergo this practice can miss school for a couple of months (3 to 4 months) for complete healing to take place. In my experience of being a teacher, there were several cases I encountered where those students missed schools for 3 months due to FGM,” she said.
According to the Orchid Project report titled Intersection Between Female Genital Cutting (FGC) and Education published in July 2021, FGC often acts as a barrier to girls’ education, particularly when it serves as a precursor for child marriage and it can also lead to school dropouts because of health consequences and prolonged absences related to cutting.
“At the same time, education is often considered key to helping girls escape FGC and as a basis for a successful strategy for communities to abandon the practice. The limited evidence on the intersection between education and female genital cutting, however, points to the need for more research and investigation to better understand the linkages,” the report added.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reported that over 230 million women and girls around the world are victims of FGM, of which 144 million victims live in Africa. Human rights organizations, including the United Nations, have urged countries to end FGM practices for the last two decades.
According to a recent survey (name of the survey), 73% of women in The Gambia have undergone FGM with 65% of those being under the age of five. The practice is usually conducted by older women in society.
Conflict with national and international laws
Human Rights Lawyer, Anna Njie, said FGM-related health and psychological issues can lead to school absenteeism and hinder educational performance. She said this is in conflict with The Education Act 2004 and Article 10 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which promotes equal access to education for all girls.
“The trauma and health complications from FGM can impact a girl’s ability to concentrate and succeed in school, thereby impeding the fulfillment of educational rights as outlined in national and international laws,” she said.
According to her, FGM is addressed under The Gambia’s 1997 Constitution, the Women’s Act 2010 (as amended in 2015), and international conventions such as the Maputo Protocol (Article 5) and CEDAW (Article 2), which criminalize harmful practices and ensure protection against violations.
“The prohibition of degrading treatment is enshrined in Section 21 of The Gambia’s Constitution and Article 4 of the Maputo Protocol, which aligns with the global standard for respecting human dignity. The Women’s Act 2010, along with the Maputo Protocol (Article 5) and CEDAW provide legal frameworks for accountability and justice for victims of FGM,” she said.
The rights lawyer said the Women’s Act 2010 and related laws including the Maputo Protocol (Article 5) and CEDAW (Article 2) should be among the measures put in place to ensure women and girls are fully protected, especially school-going girls.
She also clamored for the development and implementation of educational campaigns to raise awareness about FGM and its legal consequences, in line with the Gender and Women’s Empowerment Policy and international standards.
“Provide comprehensive support services for FGM survivors, including healthcare and psychological support, as advocated by the Public Health Act and Article 14 of the Maputo Protocol.
“Integrate FGM prevention and response strategies into school policies and curricula, ensuring safe environments for affected students and adhering to the principles outlined in CEDAW (Article 10).
“Equip law enforcement and judicial personnel with training to handle FGM cases effectively, respecting legal standards set by national laws and international conventions,” she pointed out.
