My Tanzanian colleague was telling me about how when he was circumcised, a goat was slaughtered for a big party in the typical Maasai tradition.  He was also very proud to tell me that his father (who has three wives, which is common in many African communities) went against tradition and made sure that my colleague’s sisters were not circumcised and that they had the opportunity to go to school and marry when and who they wished.  When I asked him if he knew of women who get circumcised in the villages near where we live, he said of course, and even if the village leaders tell the outside world that it doesn’t happen anymore, it is quite prevalent.

Female circumcision is the cutting of a woman’s genitals and in some cultures is meant to reduce a woman’s desire for sex and immorality.  It is a cultural tradition to which there are no health benefits; in fact, the practice can endanger the health and life of the woman.  This image from wikipedia below shows the different types of female circumcision (also called female genital mutilation) and how they differ to the normal female anatomy.

estimates that over 130 million women worldwide have been affected by some form of this with over 2 million procedures being performed every year.

In Tanzania, where I live, there is an estimated 17.6% prevalence even though the law (Section 169A of the Sexual Offences Special Provisions Act of 1998) makes the practice punishable by imprisonment and a US$380 fine.  This is a punishment which often leaves the children of the imprisoned parents significantly impoverished and suffering anyways.

So what have I learned about why do people continue to practice something that is considered by so many as unhealthy and a violation of human rights?

In Kenya and Tanzania, before Maasai girls are married, they are circumcised as a rite of passage and in necessary preparation for marriage.  Similar to my male colleague’s comments above, the ceremony is a large party for the entire community to celebrate her readiness for marriage.  The fact that many Maasai parents cannot afford to send the girls to school, they marry them off at a young age to protect them from poverty. 

The Maasai are known as the African tribe that has held most closely to its traditional ways, regardless of outside influences considered “development.”  Changing this tradition will only occur if education by Maasai for Maasai provides strong alternatives to the surgical procedure during a girl’s transition to adulthood.

Batik Picture of Female Circumcision by Filex Jacobson, Sunset Art Studios, Arusha, Tanzania, Africa