Thursday 16 August 2012

FGM ,still with us

Its been a while since I blogged, well a lot has happened, and as i continue to grow older the more i see myself walk in the footsteps of my ancestors. Regardless of which path one takes the obvious seem to play out. You are what your forefathers are, and in true African sense , still in this day and age we are crippled by the Norms and rules that culture has be stoned on us. Do not get me wrong, I am proud of my African Heritage but some aspects are to outdated in this day and age where by Globalization has brought so much to offer, In my opinion African communities refuses to put away some harsh practices that not only kill but destroy lives. FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) is FGM is typically carried out on girls from a few days old to puberty.FGM focuses on human rights violations, lack of informed consent, and health risks, which include fatal hemorrhaging, epidermoid cysts, recurrent urinary and vaginal infections, chronic pain, and obstetrical complications.FGM is typically carried out by traditional practitioners, without anaesthesia, using unsterile cutting devices such as knives, razors, scissors, cut glass, sharpened rocks, and fingernails, and applying suturing material such as agave or acacia thorns. How harsh! It is time to actually stop. Immediate complications are increased when FGM is performed in traditional ways, and without access to medical resources: the procedure is extremely painful and a bleeding complication can be fatal. Other immediate complications include acute urinary retention, urinary infection, wound infection, septicemia, tetanus, and in case of unsterile and reused instruments, hepatitis and HIV,while the formation of scars and keloids can lead to strictures, obstruction or fistula formation of the urinary and genital tracts. Urinary tract sequalae include damage to urethra and bladder with infections and incontinence. Genital tract sequelae include vaginal and pelvic infections, dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and infertility. Complete obstruction of the vagina results in hematocolpos and hematometra. Other complications include epidermoid cysts that may become infected, neuroma formation, typically involving nerves that supplied the clitoris, and pelvic pain, and also not forgetting complications during pregnancy. The future depends on the elimination of such practices and alot of awareness still because in 2012 there are still communities practising FGM. Instead of accepting that they are the future mothers who will raise our Great Nation, we instead traumatize them and make the 'less of a woman' as some say. The GOK has some what protected the Girl child in the Kenya Children Act of 2001,section 14 protection from harmful cultural rites,Article 44(3) of the Kenyan constitution provides a clear prohibition any cultural practices that are deemed harmful. It provides that a person shall not compel another person to perform, observe or undergo any cultural practice or rite. At Article 25(a) the constitution also puts emphasis on the importance of protection from torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment which make such rights absolute and therefore not subject to any limitations whatsoever. FIDA has also done a recomndeable job in sensitizing this issues. Its upon us to educate ourselves on the need to help where we can.It is important.

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