Abandoning Female Genital Cutting (FGC)

 

In 1997, a group of women from the Senegalese village of Malicounda Bambara stood before 20 journalists and declared their decision to end the practice of Female Genital Cutting (FGC), a centuries-old tradition in their village. The women had participated in Tostan's basic education program, and the knowledge they had gained in classes on human rights and health led them to make this momentous decision. Since 1997, 2,336 villages in Senegal, 298 in Guinea, and 23 in Burkina Faso, as well as villages from three other Afrcian countries, have joined the women of Malicounda Bambara in abandoning this harmful practice.

  

Although ending FGC was not one of Tostan's initial objectives, it has become a rallying point for Tostan participants. Over the past decade, almost half of the 5,000 communities estimated to practice FGC in Senegal have publicly abandoned this harmful tradition along with child/forced marriage. We believe that these significant results are due to Tostan's approach and methodology in regard to FGC. 

 

 

Why Does Tostan's Approach Work?

 

Tostan takes a respectful approach that allows villagers to make their own conclusions about FGC and to lead their own movements for change. In the modules on human rights, participants learn about their human rights to health and to be free from all forms of violence, and they discuss the responsibilities they share to protect these rights in their community. In sessions on health, they learn about the potential immediate and long-term harmful consequences of the practice and discuss ways to prevent these health problems in the future. Thus, rather than blaming or criticizing, the Tostan program places villagers in charge of decisions regarding the practice. However, ending FGC is not a requirement for communities to participate in the education program.

  

Tostan's methodology is central to FGC abandonment. Because FGC is linked to marriage opportunities, abandonment requires a collective decision by intramarrying groups. Through helping to foster collective abandonment, Tostan's program allows villagers to share the knowledge they gain with their neighbors, friends, and family members. Participants and Community Management Committee members travel to other communities to raise awareness about what they have learned in class. Through this process, entire zones can decide to end FGC together without having directly participated in Tostan classes.