Campaigner against female genital mutilation

March 8, 1995
Issue 

NAWAL HASSAN OSMAN, founder of the Sudanese Women's Organisation Yed El Marra (Women's Fist), is touring Australia, promoting Community Aid Abroad's Walk Against Want on March 26. Osman is a campaigner against female genital mutilation in Sudan. She was interviewed for 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly by KATH GELBER.

What kind of campaigns currently exist run by African women?

In Sudan we have a number of non-government organisations and women's organisations working on this issue.

There is a university run entirely by women, Affad University. It's the only women's university in Sudan. The women there are very active in researching this issue, in the Babiker Association.

How important are those campaigns? What are the statistics on female genital mutilation?

In the world there are more than 80 million women who have undergone this procedure, mainly in North Africa and the Middle East, as well as some other places.

The campaigns are very important because we believe it is one way of oppressing women. It denies them enjoyment in their sexual life as well as creating a lot of hazards, especially health-wise, during delivery and birth of a child, and even before that.

When they practise this, some girls bleed to death. They do it when the girls are very young, five to seven years old. It is a very bad experience for the young women. It also causes problems with menstrual periods.

So it's a very important issue. In Sudan there has been a law forbidding this practice since 1948, but it is not being enforced.

The law has been there for a long time, but of course the law is not enough unless you enforce it. Officially they are not doing anything. The campaigning is being done by non-government, and mainly women's, organisations. Circumcision is widely practised in urban areas.

More in urban areas than in rural areas?

Yes, particularly in urban areas. Because it's not a tradition. It is looked upon as civilising. We inherited this from Egypt.

There has been a lot of coverage about the issue in Australia. Some women say we cannot campaign against female genital mutilation because it is a traditional and cultural issue and we cannot impose white values.

No, it is not a traditional thing. I can only speak about my area, but in my area many tribes do not practise it. It is a result of urban influence. Our culture is very affected by Arab culture, and Egyptian in particular.

What kind of education campaigns do you run?

We use the media, local radio and television stations, and also we organise local workshops for local traditional leaders and religious men. We bring along gynaecologists to speak about it because people tend to respect the views of a doctor. In villages we have posters about the practice and discuss the issues in classes.

How much success have you had in changing attitudes?

The campaigns are good, but of course it is not fast. We are dealing with beliefs; this needs time, but it is changing. For our generation it is hard to find a woman who is not circumcised, but nowadays women in their 20s and in their teens, a lot are not circumcised. Nobody feels that is shameful. Even some doctors keep saying to the mothers, please don't circumcise your daughter. There is a change.

Have you had more resistance from women or men?

Actually we have had no [direct] resistance from the men, although indirectly there is. In the past men tended to prefer circumcised women. Some men believe it is more enjoyable to have sex with a circumcised woman, while the women feel it is very hard to have sex when you are circumcised.

Some women believe circumcision is good, it is clean to be circumcised. The Babiker Association is asking people to inform them about their ideas on this.

How can Australian women help?

Australian women can help by putting the issue up at international events. They have more access to international conferences than we have. By taking it to their government officials and alerting them to the issue.

Often governments don't tend to listen to their own people. But they listen to what people say in other parts of the world.

Also by raising funds for us. We need money to run our educational programs.

I want to thank the Australian people for their support and especially Community Aid Abroad. The Walk Against Want is important for us because it raises money to help us do the things we want to do. The money is spent properly. For us it is a serious issue to walk; we have to walk for basic needs like water, food and firewood, 12 or 13 km every day. I would like to appeal to people to join the Walk Against Want on March 26.

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