International Women's Day - The fight against a terrifying procedure

Considering that yesterday was the International Women’s Day I decided to write about a book which kept me thinking a lot after I read it. The book is called “Desert Flower” written by Waris Dirie.

It is about Waris Dirie herself, how she grew up as a nomad in the Somali desert and her way on top of the catwalks of famous designers all over the world. During the course of the book she describes how she was able to flee from her family because her father wanted to get her married to a very old man, how she got to Mogadishu and then to London, her beginnings as a model and her way into a better life.

Waris Dirie is a victim of a very horrible ritual. When she was 5 years old she had to undergo female genital mutilation.

For those who don’t know what female genital mutilation, in short FGM, is I will describe it. It is a procedure in which genital parts of the woman’s vagina are being removed without any anaesthetization and under horrible hygienic conditions. FGM has immediate consequences which include severe pain, excessive bleeding and sometimes infections and also long term consequences which include the painful healing process, infections, higher risks for complications during a pregnancy and even simple things like using the bathroom or having monthly menstruation which can be very painful.

FGM has its origins in Africa but it is spread all over the world. The people who still practice it today and also their ancestors saw it either cultural, religious or social reasons in it. But they did and do not see that it is actually cruel to every girl who has to go through it.

While reading the book of Waris Dirie I was grossed out, I felt sad and also angry. Additionally I felt so bad for her and all the other girls who had to go through that horrific procedure and of course for all the girls who will have to go through that in the future.

After reading her book I kind of see her as a hero now. She made a very hard and, at the same time, brave decision to leave her family behind, to try to get a better life which she definitely has now. She is a hero for me because with her confession of being a victim of FGM, she called attention to the practice of FGM.

FGM is a horrible practice which has to be stopped. It is cruel to every girl who has to undergo this procedure and it has neither a religious, cultural nor traditional reason.

I wanted to take this post to make you aware of a remarkable woman who is fighting against a cruel procedure. She founded the Desert Flower Foundation to fight against FGM. Go and visit her website (http://www.desertflowerfoundation.org/de/) and help to stop it.