[women-rights] Tambacounda Declarations to End Female Genital Cutting

The Tambacounda Declarations

I am very excited to write you about two new declarations to abandon Female
Genital Cutting (FGC) involving 141 communities in the southeastern region
of Senegal that took place on October 20 and 21, 2001.

As I sit today thinking over the events of last weekend, I recall how this
whole movement started with just one small community ­ Malicounda Bambara.
Now 423 villages have joined with them to stand up and declare their firm
commitment not only to end FGC in their own communities, but also to take
the message to their friends and relatives so that many more will follow.

The events of last weekend are even more remarkable in that the region of
Tambacounda is one of the most conservative and traditional areas of the
country.  Female genital cutting is practiced by approximately 70% of the
population where the Pulaar, Mandinka and Soninke ethnic groups are in the
majority.  It was in this region that 120 girls were cut in protest (with
the same knife) on the morning following the vote to outlaw FGC in Senegal
in January 1999.  Everyone thought it would be decades before people
actually agreed to end FGC in this remote area, characterized by small
villages, rolling hills and forests!

Tostan implemented the Village Empowerment Program from January 2000
through April 2001 in 60 villages in both the Kedougou and Tambacounda
districts of the region with support from UNICEF Senegal. Participants learned
about human rights and responsibilities, problem-solving, hygiene, and health.
The methodology used is based on the oral tradition including dialogue,
theater, poetry, song and dance to get across life-saving messages to all
members of the community, particularly women.

By May of 2001, many significant changes had taken place in the communities.
Participants had started village clean-ups, womenıs savings groups for
economic improvement, health associations to work on providing basic health
care, and movements to end FGC and early or forced marriages.  On March 31,
the women of one community participating in the Tostan program in the
Tambacounda district marched to protest violence against women.  A man had
beaten his pregnant wife and the class participants were no longer afraid to
peacefully demonstrate their concerns and insist that the violence end.

Representatives from all classes also met several times during 2000-2001 at
inter-village meetings and decided to lead social mobilization campaigns to
convince their neighbors, friends and relatives to work together and prepare
a common declaration to abandon harmful traditional practices.  From April
through September, 2001 the participants walked, talked and convinced others
- leading to a total of 141 communities joining their campaign.

The first of the declarations for 101 communities was held in the District
of Tambacounda on October 20 in the village of Malem Niani, located near the
city of Tambacounda. The second declaration for 40 communities was held on
October 21 in the village of Tomboronkoto, approximately 30 minutes from the
city of Kedougou.  During both declarations, the communities announced their
decision to abandon Female Genital Cutting, end early marriages and promote
such positive practices as family planning.

Traditional singers and dancers from the various ethnic groups of the region
performed for the guests and participants presented short dramas on the
dangers of FGC and early marriage.

During the Tambacounda declarations, many people spoke out about the
problems they had experienced with FGC for the first time.  Because this
topic has always been taboo, there are many fears and superstitions related
to opening about excision.  In fact, most women and men have previously
refused to share their stories­particularly the negative experiences.
Since it also involves a very intimate part of the body, it is a difficult
issue for most to discuss.

However, the day before the declarations took place, one of the journalists
covering the story for a popular Dakar newspaper "Sud" warned the other
younger journalists:
"I've noticed in the past that some of you are skeptical about this
topic. Some of you have even wondered if FGC is really as harmful as people
say.  I am here today to tell you that it is and share my own experience for
the first time.  Although I am not of a group that practices FGC, my wife
is.  When I tried to make love to her on our wedding night, I was not able
to do so because she had been "sealed" during the excision rites many years
ago.  Only one small hole remained.  She had to be cut open in order for me
to penetrate on the same night.  This was more painful than any of you can
imagine.  (The man must penetrate on the same night so that the wound does
not seal up again.) She has suffered terribly ever since then and still
feels pain when we make love.  Can you imagine what it is like to be married
to a woman who only suffers when she should be feeling pleasure?  I want you
to imagine what it has been like for her and for me all these years.  I am
an older man and my testimony should be taken very seriously by you all."

During a visit to one of the villages participating in the Malem Niani
declaration, Sare Diarra, a village elder, Babou Sall, spoke to Tostan,
UNICEF, the group of journalists and other villagers:  "My own daughter died
of excision in 1982.  In this area, the cutter uses a knife inherited from
his ancestors to perform the ritual.  That same knife is used on many girls
at the same time.  You can imagine how many girls got infections from this
cutting.  We have no alcohol here, no health centers or medicines, so my
daughter died from tetanus following her cutting.  I didnıt realize at the
time that the infection was directly linked to the operation.  It was only
later that we learned about germs and that excision can lead to such
infections, even AIDS or death.  Now that we know, we must stop."

During the Kedougou declaration, a man testified that he was the one who cut
girls, often 100 at a time. He admitted to seeing many girls hemorrhage and
later suffer from infections.  "We always attributed this to evil spirits,"
he explained, "Now that we are educated on the topic, we can no longer
continue."

Tostan had invited participants from classes in other parts of the country
where FGC is practiced and they were grateful to have the opportunity to
witness these important declarations.  One Bambara man from the Kaolack
region spoke with much emotion and explained that he was a retired teacher
who had sought to end FGC for more than forty years.  "As a Physical
Education Instructor, I often saw young girls participate in sports and
after any physical exertion, suffer from bleeding due to the excision
operation.  I have carried many a girl to the health center to stop her
hemorrhage.  This is not right and I have tried throughout the years to
speak out, but often to no avail.  Today my dream of ending FGC is coming
true."

Some participants traveled 24 hours in public buses to attend the
ceremonies.  Their travel and food was made possible by donations from
individuals from the United States, notably Sally Epstein and Don Collins
and Tostan thanks them and others for their support in these important
events.

The declarations proved that much progress has been made in the movement for
abandonment of FGC in Senegal.  After the declaration, we received word from
representatives of the 90 classes in Kolda that more than 200 villages are
planning the next declaration to end FGC to be held on February 7, 2002...