A CSI partner shares information about FGM with women at a workshop. csi
The percentage of women undergoing FGM in Egypt is among the highest in the world. Although a nationwide ban on the practice came into effect in 2008, it has had little impact. In rural areas of Upper Egypt particularly, there is strong social pressure to circumcise girls. Christian Solidarity International (CSI) supports local partners who challenge this practice through information campaigns.
Mirna, aged 22, is traumatized by her experience of being forced by her mother to undergo FGM as a child.
“I reject FGM with all my heart,” Mirna tells us. “I know firsthand the terrible consequences it brings: the psychological trauma, the risk of severe bleeding, the loss of sexual feeling, and the lasting physical pain. But above all, I carry the memory of that day—a day I will never forget.
“I was playing happily with my friends, when my mother came for me,” she recalls. Taking Mirna firmly by the hand, she took her to buy ice cream. “I felt happy and secure as I had no idea what was in store for me,” says Mirna.
A turning point in her life
The nightmare began for Mirna when her mother led her to the doctor’s office. “Suddenly, my mother grabbed my hand while another woman pushed my legs apart as far as they would go.” Mirna was paralysed by fear: “My heart was beating so fast, I thought it would stop.“
After the doctor sprayed a cold liquid on Mirna, she felt a brutal stabbing pain and fainted. When she woke up, she was back home. The pain she felt was unbearable. ”I couldn’t even close my legs, let alone go outside to play with my friends,” the young woman says.
The worst thing was having to go to the toilet: “I screamed and cried and felt like I was going to die every time.
“Since that day, I have hated even hearing people talk about FGM. The trauma has stayed with me, shaping my life in ways I never imagined.”
Standing up to FGM
Yet, she is determined to challenge the social norm and spare other girls the pain she suffered. That is why she has broken her silence and speaks publicly about the devastating consequences of genital mutilation.
The now 22-year-old mother vows: “I will never put my daughter through what I went through. She is a precious gift from God, and it is my duty to protect her.”
Mirna’s story is not an isolated case. Every year, thousands of girls in Egypt are subjected to genital mutilation. Statistically, around 90 percent of women in Egypt are affected by this painful ordeal, both Muslim and Christian.
There is strong social pressure to circumcise girls in rural Egypt. Misinformation is rife, and the tradition is ingrained in village life. It is sometimes wrongly claimed that female circumcision is a religious commandment.
CSI campaigns against FGM
For years, CSI has been campaigning for the physical integrity of Egyptian women through FGM awareness campaigns. Women’s discussion groups are at the heart of the project. In these workshops, there is an open discussion and a sharing of information.
“We put a lot of emphasis on sharing experiences,” a CSI project partner says. “When women tell others that they have decided against FGM, they then realize that there is an alternative.”
CSI relies on the support of donors to continue its much needed work of raising awareness, educating families, creating safe spaces for girls, and empowering communities to end this harmful practice.
