Asylum sought for victims of female circumcision
There are a lot of women living safely in our nation with a burning memory of childhood that is unforgivable and unshakable. Their lives began in small villages of West and North Africa where tradition in local tribes includes a rite of passage ceremony known as female genital circumcision, or female genital mutilation (FGM). This practice, believed to make a girl more chaste and more marriage-worth occurs across religious, class and tribal lines but is more common in rural communities than in cities. In Africa, three million girls are at risk each year of being subjected to FGM.
The United States has granted political asylum to many victims of forced circumcision after a landmark immigration ruling in 1996, however, recently, immigration courts are narrowing the grounds on which they will issue legal sanctuary to these frightened women. Only a few hundred have won asylum claims due to FGM.
The Washington Post reports that “Today, despite world condemnation, legal bans in many nations and years of educational efforts, female circumcision is still widely practiced in Africa. In nine countries — Egypt, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Somalia, Mali, Eritrea, Gambia and Djibouti — more than 75 percent of women have been circumcised.”
The procedure itself is brief, it is known in the West as female genital mutilation. Part or all of the external genitalia are cut off, usually with a hot knife or sharp stone for no medical reason. There is no anesthesia, there is no sterile surface or bandages or medication. The procedure is usually done to pre-puescent girls. Bleeding after the procedure is often severe and can result in shock, infection and death.
International health organizations report that these victims suffer lifelong complications with urination, menstruation, childbirth and intercourse. It is estimated that 100 to 140 million girls and women worldwide currently live with consequences of FGM.
FGM is internationally recognized as a human rights violation.
Source: World Health Organization, Washington Post
