HARMFUL TRADITIONAL PRACTICES

Harmful practices is defines as violations of women’s and girls’ rights.

Harmful Traditional Practices is defining as any forms of violence against women and girls
which are defended on the basis of tradition, culture, religion or superstition by some community
members.

Harmful traditional practices constituting violence against women and girls can include: acid
violence, breast flattening, cosmetic mutilation, dowry and bride price, early/forced marriage and
marriage by abduction/rape, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM), ‘honour’ crimes,
corrective rape, and female infanticide, ritual sexual slavery, virginity testing, practices related to
initiation or menstruation, some widowhood rituals and accusations of witchcraft levied at older
women.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

FGM is a traditional operation that involves cutting away parts of the female external genitalia or
other injuries to the female genitalia for cultural reasons

Types of FGM

FGM is a collective term for the different practices that involve cutting of the female genitalia.
According to WHO (1995) FGM is classified in the following four categories:

1. TYPE I (clitoridectomy): This is partial/total excision of the clitoris

2. TYPE II: This is partial/or total excision of the labia minora (Vaginal inner lip), with
excision of the clitoris. This is also called the Sunna type.
3. TYPE III: This is excision of the external genitalia (labia majora) partially or totally
together with the above two procedures. Following the procedure the vaginal opening is
closed/narrowed with stitches (Infibulations/Pharaonic incision) allowing a small opening
for urine and menstrual blood to be excreted
4. TYPE IV: this is any other procedure done together with/other than the above three
Pricking, piercing, or incision of the clitoris and/or labia; stretching of the clitoris and/or labia;
cauterization by burning of the clitoris and surrounding tissues; scraping (anguria cuts) of the
vagina orifice or cutting ( gishiri cuts) of the vagina; introduction of corrosive substances in to
the vagina to cause bleeding, or of herbs in to the vagina with the aim of tightening or narrowing
the vagina.
Reasons given for practicing FGM
Though the reasons for practicing FGM vary from society to society, the following are
commonly mentioned as a reason for undergoing FGM:
♦ To maintain the moral behavior of women in the society
Almost all ethnic groups who perform FGM believe that sexual sensitivity and response are
reduced if a female undergoes mutilation. Women who are not circumcised are believed to have
a strong desire for sex and it is believed may indulge in extramarital sex to satisfy their needs.
♦To preserve virginity
In some areas virginity is highly valued. It is also a reflection of the status of a family and an
integral part of a marriage transaction. Therefore FGM is performed to preserve the virginity of a
woman until she is married. Most commonly, infibulation is performed to make the woman
totally handicapped for premarital sex.
♦For hygienic reasons
A woman is considered unclean if she is not circumcised. It is said that FGM decreases genital
secretion and helps a woman to be neat. Moreover uncircumcised women are believed to
produce worms and that their genitalia foul smell.
♦To ‘calm’ a girl and make her decent
A girl who is not circumcised is believed to be unreserved (Aynawta), breaks utensils, be
wasteful and becomes absent minded. Many believe circumcision is done to control the woman’s
reaction/emotions, to help her to be decent and reserved.
♦Esthetic reasons
The genitalia of uncircumcised women are believed to be unattractive and uninviting to a man
for sexual intercourse. Therefore FGM is performed so that the genitalia look beautiful for the
man who owns the girl.
♦Religious requirement
Among certain religious groups prayers made by uncircumcised women are believed to be
unacceptable. For some ethnic groups, to be uncircumcised is considered to be an insult to God.
Some even believe that the Holy Book says “that which protrudes from the body is excessive and
should be trimmed”.

♦To avoid difficulty at delivery

Some people believe that FGM helps to shorten the duration of labor and the passage of the
newborn child through the birth canal, despite evidence to the contrary.
♦To increase matrimonial and marriage opportunities
In most ethnic groups marriages are pre-arranged by families. Therefore a woman has to be
circumcised pre-martially to find a husband. A circumcised woman is said to have a tight
perineum that increases the pleasure of a man during intercourse. In some instances, even in a
circumcised woman, if a man is not satisfied with the tightness of the vaginal opening, the
woman is made to go back to her parents, saying she is not well and adequately circumcised
CONSEQUENCES OF FGM
Physical consequences
Physical complications often arise as a result of infection due to use of unsterile tools and other
materials. These complications are divided into immediate and delayed complications.
♦ Immediate complications are those which arise soon (in few seconds) or within a few
days of the procedure:
− Hemorrhage
− Shock
− Severe pain
− Damage to the nearby urinary structures
− Septicemia
− Tetanus
− Bone fracture following heavy pressure applied to the struggling girl
− Death
♦ Late complications are those that occur later on in life:
− Heavy scarring (keloid scar)
− Dyspareunia (painful intercourse) or apareunia (not being able to have sexual intercourse)
Haemotocolpos (accumulation of menstrual blood caused by closure of the vaginal opening by
scar tissue)
− Recurrent urinary tract infection
− HIV/AIDS
− Obstructed labor and other obstetric complications
− Urinary and rectal fistulae usually following delivery
Psychological consequences
♦Lack of sexual desire and/or satisfaction: Absence of the most sexually sensitive
part of her body usually makes a woman sexually unresponsive and fails to achieve
satisfaction during sexual intercourse. Loss of sexual satisfaction may also be
because of painful intercourse (Dysparunia).
♦Fear of sexual intercourse: Especially if the genital mutilation was done when the
child is old enough to remember painful experiences, she unknowingly may avoid
anybody, such as a physician or even her husband to have a look at or touch her
genitalia. This is mainly because of the deep-seated memory of the pain and
suffering she had during the act of mutilation.
♦Lack of self-confidence (low self esteem): These women may not be confident
enough to participate in certain social gatherings if, for example, they have fistulas
and complications arising from that.
Social Consequences
Female genital mutilation has serious consequences for women’s health both
physical and mental. This in turn may affect their productivity. Health, lack of
concentration and poor output, reduce their ability to participate effectively in
decision making, in productive activities and in the care and nature of children who
are the future generation and leaders of the society.
Measures against FGM:
 Educating the community about the risks and consequences of FGM through
available channels of communication, also its role in the transmission of
HIV.
 Involving religious and other influential leaders of the community, TBAs
and circumcisers in educating the public about this issue.
 Strongly encouraging the government to be critically committed to making
the laws more stringent and to develop enforcement strategies.
 Improving the availability, accessibility and quality of modern health
services
 Including knowledge about harmful traditional practices in school curricula
appropriate to the grade levels in elementary and secondary schools.
 Integrating active teaching learning strategies about harmful traditional
health practices, especially with favor prevention, in all health sciences
curricula.