Let Us Stop This Horrendous Act

LET US STOP THIS HORRENDOUS ACT

    As a person who comes from a community that is deeply rooted into female genital mutilation, I was absolutely moved by the story of nominated Member of Parliament Sophia Abdi Noor. It is really devastating that our girls have to undergo this heinous rite of passage.

     It is so sad when some people justify this barbaric act by saying it is a religious practice, when in-fact it is not. It is nowhere in the holy books. The dollar billion question many people are asking is- where did the idea come from? The answer is simply from outdated traditions period.

     For those who had a chance to read Sophia’s story, this is a practice we should not entertain. It is on account of this act that many young girls have lost their precious lives due to excessive bleeding. And those who were lucky enough to survive are now experiencing complications, especially during giving of birth.

     Consequently, since this practice has got no benefit whatsoever, let us use everything at our disposal to uproot it from society. Let Sophia’s story be a wake up call to all and sundry who can campaign against female genital mutilation. I profoundly believe it is not a good thing to burry our heads in the sand when this practice is so prevalent in our society. We have to do something and it should be done very fast.

    Finally I would like to congratulate Ms Sophia for using her life experience in parliament to move debate when supporting bill to outlaw female cut. Let’s hope other women and girls will emulate her.