Lets emphasize in educating nation through a woman to end cultural malpractice!

“..If you educate a man you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a family(nation)” – Dr James Kwegyir-Aggrey.

By Midladjy Maez- Dar es Salaam.

Tanzania latest population estimates we are approaching 61 million people and as always women counts at least 51% of the figure. Since attaining Independence on December 09, 1961 much has been done to redress the imbalance in how our local communities treat their fair gender members who were accidentally mistreated by traditional norms and cultural practices inherited from the ancestors. Among notorious one is famous Female Genital Mutilation(FGM) which is still widely practiced in 30 countries in the world including Tanzania. According to 2015–16 survey in Tanzania, FGM prevalence rate is 10% of all women aged between 15 and 49 and 4.7% for those aged 15–19. In contrast, the 1996 survey reported 17.6%, suggesting a drop of 7.6% over 20 years or unwillingness to disclose. Type II FGM was found to be most common. There are significant differences in regional prevalence; FGM is most widespread in Manyara (81%), Dodoma (68%), Arusha (55%), Singida (43%) and Mara (38%) regions. The practice varies with religion, with reported prevalence rates of 20% for Christian and 15% of Muslim women. Section 169A of the Sexual Offences Special Provisions Act of 1998 prohibits FGM in Tanzania. Punishment is imprisonment of from five to fifteen years or a fine not exceeding 300,000 shillings (approximately US$250) or both. Tanzania ratified the Maputo Protocol in 2007. As with Kenya, Tanzania 1998 Act protects only girls up to the age of 18 years.

The FGM law is being occasionally implemented, with 52 violations have been re ported, filed and prosecuted. At least 10 cases were convicted in Tanzania then. The habit is die hard as immigrants from Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa residing in Europe and USA are known to practice FGM in secrecy until aggrieved victims report to the authorities.

The Ethiopian Amirah the FGM victim who resides in US has this to say: “..In order to achieve better success in the FGM fight, I sometimes wish the men who impose FGM felt the pain that women felt. I know that if they felt the excruciating pain and experienced the loss of sexual pleasure, FGM would have been banned in their communities. We would have more male advocates. Women who fight for FGM are from the older generation and/or are uneducated about it. My father from Ethiopia are among the many people who have brought FGM to the United States but I was the first to bring FGM to be to tried in court. I was lucky to have my mother fight for me. My father was sentenced to 10 years in prison for what he had done to me. That was my justice but there is still so much ignorance in the culture. FGM could only be eradicated by education.” She concluded. (source asanteafrica.org blog)

To take cue from Amirah the FGM should be fought by multi-sectorial campaign whose starting point should always be in Primary Education. However as witnessed by One of the UNFPA Influencers, Rebecca Gyumi, the FGM is still rampant in the Mara region,Tanzania, she witnessed a festive circumcision season which happens around the first week of January. She observed the people storming the Masanga Centre asking the officials to release the girls back to their community. The Masanga Centre provides alternative woman hood education. It seems the people were yet to understand the role of the Centre and accordingly the FGM is still practised every year which divides by two like 2020. More effort should be done in coming years in order to save the girls than ever before.

According to data provided by UNFPA, Female genital mutilation prevalence is in many parts of the country including in the more urban city of Dar es Salaam. However, the worst hit areas are Manyara, The Capital City Dodoma(47%), Arusha 41% and Singida 31% regions and yet more NGO’s are based in Mara region. Of course, one could argue that the problem is higher in the rural areas and that is where more action needs to happen if we really want to thrush out this practice. In conclusion with concerted effort from both Government institutions and international organization particularly UN Agencies the FGM practice can be stopped before the set deadline of 2030. It will be anticlimax if with good policy of Free Education for All implemented by the Government shall fail to uproot this dehumanizing scourge FGM. Through education we shall empower future women to take control of their own destiny and hence inculcate proper emancipation to their likes. Let’s educate women earnestly and make our esteemed nation a better place for everybody. It can be done play your part.(end)