Discussing FGC in a challenging environment

Monday 02 June 2014

Since November 2012, Orchid Project and Tostan have been partnering together to reinforce the movement of the abandonment of female genital cutting (FGC) and child/forced marriage in Senegal, more specifically in Haute Casamance, in the South and the Fouta in the North East. These two regions have the highest rate of prevalence of FGC and child/forced marriage. Consequently, it is in these areas where social mobilization teams go from village to village to educate communities about the harmful effects of these practices; there are currently two teams in Kolda and, since recently, two in the Fouta.

Tostan supervisor Amadou Tidiane Sow, and five other social mobilization agents, all of whom are from the region, travel throughout the department of Podor in the Fouta region to visit six villages each month and spend two days in each village. The purpose of their visits in these communities is to discuss human rights and the harmful effects of FGC and child/forced marriage, social norms that are deeply entrenched in the communities of this region.

He admits that he has faced some difficulties in this region. For example, many villages are reluctant to come and meet the social mobilization teams, often due to the influence of powerful and conservative religious leaders. Faced with these difficulties, the team has improved its outreach and social mobilization strategies. Amadou believes that one must adapt to the area where he works: one cannot introduce new ideas in a community without first knowing the community’s culture and values. Therefore, village meetings are settled by mediations by local authorities (prefect, president of rural community, etc.) who are enthusiastic partners.

The first day in the village is dedicated to meeting and greeting local leaders such as the local authorities, the village chief, the religious leader, the president of the women’s group and school headmasters. This allows you to organize a meeting with members of the community the next day.

“At the meetings, we must be sensitive and respectful if we want to speak with communities about taboo issues such as female genital cutting. We have to create the right conditions to start the discussion, to make them think about these issues.

According to Amadou Tidiane Sow, agents are expected to approach and discuss sensitive topics with care which can also facilitate debates. Agents usually start talking about human rights using a picture box illustrating the right to health, the right to be protected against any type of violence, child protection to name a few. They then discuss these rights with participants and ask for their views. Other times, the agents present the negative impacts of FGC on health before allowing participants to respond. Digital tablets recently provided by Orchid Project are also used to extend discussions by sharing videos of previous debates which could in turn influence reluctant community members and villages.

Tostan faces resistance and has been accused of working against Islam, but social mobilization agents who are Muslim themselves, argue that the practice has negative health effects. Women are often the first to remind other participants of this fact. For example, Kadiata Sow from Thiaklé, a village that is ready to abandon FGC, participated in the meetings organized by the social mobilization team and explained that even if FGC were a recommendation of Islam, there are too any health-related problems for women: “I believe that Islam does not allow anyone to hurt anybody.”

Similarly, Aminata Aliou Sow, a midwife living and working in the health post of Wuro Ardo, listed all the harmful consequences of FGC during a meeting by giving many examples. She asked participants this question: “How many times do we have difficulties caused by FGC?…You know that better than I do. So, it is time to ban this practice and to abandon it. The village chief Moussa Sow applauded her, and said that Wuro Ardo was ready to abandon FGC.

In order to work with religious leaders for positive social change, Amadou and his team are trying to encourage marabouts to create a movement where they support FGC abandonment and are motivated to help their communities end the practice by raising awareness. He shared the story of a young marabout who claims that Islam forbids the practice of FGC and that it preceded Islam. However, he refrains from speaking out in public for fear of being excluded by the community or by other influential marabouts. Others like Cheikh Ba Harourou are more outspoken, he encouraged his community to abandon FGC arguing that it was a tradition that was not rooted in Islam. With the help of Tostan, his community is ready to abandon FGC, and today he is very keen to assist the social mobilization teams.

Story by Céline Gendre, Assistant to the Regional coordinator in Ourossogui, Tostan

 

This blog is part of a series on the Social Mobilisation project that Orchid Project funds in support of Tostan’s long term Community Empowerment Programme. Social Mobilisation is focused on ensuring the acceleration of abandonment of FGC in Senegal. Teams of volunteers who have already abandoned FGC, called social mobilisation agents, visit and create dialogue with inter-connected communities on human rights and the negative consequences of FGC. Their work aims to spread the message of abandonment and encourage others to join them.

Social mobilisation agents are individual members of the community who have been inspired by their understanding that FGC is a harmful practices, and are eager to share their own experiences with others. Often, they are religious, traditional or community leaders who are widely respected and well-connected, active, influential participants.

You can find out more about Social Mobilisation by clicking here. If you would like to support this work, please click here