A question to Giselle Portenier, filmmaker of In the Name of your Daughter: The film addresses a topic that for many would be very uncomfortable to discuss or comprehend. Why did you make the film?
The film is about some of the bravest, most inspiring girls in the world, Tanzanian girls as young as eight who risk everything, including their lives, to follow their dreams. These girls do not want to go through FGM. No child, once informed of what’s ahead, volunteers to be harmed in any way. They are bribed, cajoled, threatened, and forced. And furthermore, it is about a woman, Rhobi Samwelly, who risks her own life to protect the girls.
We all have daughters, nieces, friends’ daughters, neighbors’ daughters. Once you know about FGM, you can’t unknow. It’s another reason people close their eyes to the film, and to the issue.
The film is called “In The Name Of Your Daughter” because it is made in the name of everyone’s daughter who deserves protection from harm. How far will each of us go to protect our own daughter from the harm that is female genital mutilation. Why aren’t we doing the same for other people’s daughters?
We also need to remember that fighting FGM is not about colonialism, it’s about protecting human rights enshrined in all sorts of international human rights treaties, starting with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.
How ancient of a tradition is FGM or cutting?
As per a UNFPA document: “The origins of the practice are unclear. It predates the rise of Christianity and Islam. It is said that some Egyptian mummies display characteristics of FGM. As recently as the 1950s, clitoridectomy was practiced in Western Europe and the United States to treat perceived ailments including hysteria, epilepsy, mental disorders, masturbation, nymphomania and melancholia. In other words, the practice of FGM has been followed by many different peoples and societies across the ages and continents.”
What was/is the main purpose or objective of FGM?
The varying cultures that practice this all have different rationales and customs behind it, mostly to control the sexuality of girls and women. The result is the same, irreparable damage to a child, but the customs change. There is not one religion that requires FGM.
Customs and traditions of FGM in Tanzania:
The cutting ceremony in Africa is associated with a party, gifts and new clothes. How are the local customs and traditions being tackled?
The project S.A.F.E. focuses on the importance of developing an alternate ceremony, one that includes the community, but without the cutting.
Please explain the concept of paying with cows.
Paying with cows, also called “mahari” (“lobolo” in some African countries), is an African custom by which a bridegroom's family makes a payment in cattle to the bride’s family shortly before the marriage. A cut girl typically will demand more cows than an uncut girl.
Cutting/cutting season:
What is the cutting “season”?
The cutting season is the time of the year when most FGM/cutting activities take place; it typically (in Africa) would have been during the December holiday, but it now can take place during any of the school holidays. Families make use of the opportunity to cut their daughters while schools are closed.
Is there an age limit for FGM?
No, there is no age limit. It typically will be done in young girls between infancy and adolescence; more occasionally adult women.
Unfortunately, in some communities, it is being done on baby girls.
What percentage of cut girls die from complications?
It is not possible to provide accurate data because of the poor global reporting of FGM.
What is used for the cutting?
Blades and knives, which have often been used repeatedly.
What is the situation regarding FGM in Tanzania?
Is FGM in the Mara region typical of Tanzania, or is FGM more widespread there?
Gender-based violence continues to be a serious problem in the Mara Region of Tanzania. This region has the highest rate of spousal violence in the country, affecting 78% of married women. Over 50% of adult women were married by age 18 and 32% have undergone FGM, while only 21% have ever attended secondary education.
Is there an age limit on marriage in Tanzania/the Mara area?
The Law of Marriage Act 1971 allows for boys to marry at 18 years and girls to marry at 14 with consent of the court, and at the age of 15 with parental consent.
In July 2016, the Constitutional Court ruled that marriage under the age of 18 was illegal, and stated that certain sections were unconstitutional. The matter is the subject of an appeal by the Attorney General of the State.
In Tanzania it is illegal to cut those under 18, correct?
Yes, FGM is criminalized in Tanzania (by the Sexual Offences Special Provisions Act 1998).
What is the penalty for parents/cutters arrested for FGM in Tanzania?
Imprisonment for a minimum of three years or a fine of not less than US$ 1000, or both, applies to anyone procuring, aiding or abetting the practice of FGM.
Long-term consequences of FGM
Is there any medical intervention for victims of FGM that can restore victims in any way?
Deinfibulation is a minor surgical procedure carried out to re-open the vaginal introitus in women living with type III FGM, often done during pregnancy. Another procedure that is done is called clitoral reconstruction or restoration. The WHO advises against raising unrealistic expectations, especially for women seeking sexual improvement.
One pioneer of FGM corrective surgery is Dr. Pierre Foldes, a French urologist, who helped found humanitarian organization Doctors of the World. He devised a technique to unearth the clitoral remnant.
How is the psychological impact addressed?
A study done by 28 TOO MANY addresses the psychological impact in a detailed manner; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression and memory loss may occur, as well as chronic pain syndrome.
Questions pertaining to the Safe Houses:
Is there only one safe house?
Hope runs two Safe Houses, both in rented buildings. The number of girls increases dramatically during “cutting seasons,” as Rhobi will never turn anyone away.
How many girls can live in Rhobi's safe house at one time?
A safe house can comfortably accommodate 50 girls at a time; there are, at the moment (May 22), 177 girls living at the two safe houses.
Funding for HGWT:
Where does the funding for the Safe Houses come from ?
Hope receives no government funding and relies on various donors ‒ UNFPA, Tanzania Development Trust, USAID, local hotels and individual sponsors.
HGWT received a FAWCO Foundation Development Grant in 2018 to support the Butiama Safe House Vocational Training Center.
