Meet the transgender woman giving new hope to victims of female genital mutilation

Links234

http://mic.com/articles/121294/transgender-woman-female-genital-mutilation?utm_source=policymicTBLR

This is a seriously great article, I knew for a while Marci Bowers was helping victims of female genital mutilation, but this is a seriously fantastic read.

"I think there historically has been a fairly dismissive attitude," Bowers said. The FGM procedure is relatively uncommon, even among experts in the field, and generally overlooked. "Male sexual response is important, but a women's sexual response is largely secondary." When Bowers first began to explore the possibility of FGM restoration, she faced strong resistance from much of the medical establishment around her. "I was put down by the more experienced physicians," she said. "'We just deliver the baby, don't worry about that.'"

Bowers estimated she had so far performed around 130 FGM restoration procedures, all of which have been for no charge.

Vojera

Really interesting article. I wasn't aware that any restorative surgery was possible. Great that it is and hopefully it'll become more widespread, although the ideal would of course be that it wasn't necessary in the first place.

4friggA

Oh god, I read the first few lines of that squeezing my legs togther *shudders*
Those poor women. I've heard of female genital mutilation but I'll be honest, I don't know a lot about it and I think that's because of a combination of afraid of being horrified by what I read and sticking my head in the sand because it doesn't affect me.

It's very sad to read of women performing the procedure on other women. You'd have this image in your head of it being only men and when it's a woman doing it, you'd feel like you're being betrayed on a higher level.

It's great that she's doing it free of charge but what would be the situation there with regard to the women actually getting to the clinic? Would they be prevented from travelling to it?

Vojera

4friggA wrote: »

It's very sad to read of women performing the procedure on other women. You'd have this image in your head of it being only men and when it's a woman doing it, you'd feel like you're being betrayed on a higher level.

My mam loaned me a book a while back (she's big into those survivor memoir things, whereas I am not) about a Sudanese woman's story of being kidnapped from her village and sold into slavery and she described the process of her FGM experience. To say it was horrifying is an understatement, but she said that the reason her mother brought her to have it done was that she was worried that no one would ever want to marry her if she didn't. In some cases at least it doesn't seem to be that women want to continue these practices against each other, but that in their worlds a woman is only worth what the value she holds to a man, and a woman who has not undergone FGM is less desirable in those cultures

4friggA

Vojera wrote: »

My mam loaned me a book a while back (she's big into those survivor memoir things, whereas I am not) about a Sudanese woman's story of being kidnapped from her village and sold into slavery and she described the process of her FGM experience. To say it was horrifying is an understatement, but she said that the reason her mother brought her to have it done was that she was worried that no one would ever want to marry her if she didn't. In some cases at least it doesn't seem to be that women want to continue these practices against each other, but that in their worlds a woman is only worth what the value she holds to a man, and a woman who has not undergone FGM is less desirable in those cultures

What's the name of the book Vojera?
I have read a few different memoirs about different things and as much as they are horrendous to read I feel like the story needs to be read and when I read it, I tell someone about it.

It really does seem like there are parts of the world being left behind as we stride on changing the value of ourselves.

Vojera

4friggA wrote: »

What's the name of the book Vojera?
I have read a few different memoirs about different things and as much as they are horrendous to read I feel like the story needs to be read and when I read it, I tell someone about it.

It really does seem like there are parts of the world being left behind as we stride on changing the value of ourselves.

It was Slave by Mende Nazer. It's a tough read - there's a reason I don't usually read that sort of thing, I found it very hard going.

Amazing, delighted to hear about this project. There are two pretty horrible, haunting documentaries on the subject, on Channel 4's 4oD. I wouldn't go about watching them lightly though!

ETA to give the names of the documentaries. One is called "The Cruelest Cut", the other, much, much harder to watch, is called "The Day I Will Never Forget".

The latter actually has a live showing of a girl being circumcised.