While the work carried out by the Togolese authorities at various levels is undoubtedly useful, female genital mutilation remains a real social problem. Determined to safeguard the gains of tradition, the Togolese people are strongly shaken by this evil, which is rife in almost all ethnic groups.
While international, regional and sub-regional organizations such as the United Nations have solemnly called for the elimination of female genital mutilation throughout the world, the fight against this scourge seems to be a utopian one, with the corollary of an increase in the number of victims in Togo.
In the Democratic Republic of Togo, this sexual discrimination is far from being eliminated. In this nation, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is an integral part of the exercises most practiced by many people from the Tchaoudjo region in northern Togo. Female genital mutilation, also known as “excision” in historical and community French, is a form of human rights violence and a serious attack on the physical integrity of its victims. Although a law banning female genital mutilation has been in force in Togo since 1998, prevalence rates have been fluctuating in most of the country’s northern regions and among certain ethnic groups such as the Yanga, Mossi, Cotocoli, Peul and Tchamba.
There are a number of reasons for the practice of this activity and the drastic rise in the prevalence rate in northern Togo. In Tchamba, not far from the Togo border, the lack of financial resources is the main reason.
Comforted in their day-to-day livelihood, with little regard for the consequences, these women, under the impact of the non-stop haemorrhaging of their victims, don’t beat about the bush to blame Mother Nature. They have no qualms about the fact that their patient’s death during the procedure is the work of fate. Irrespective of excision.
Despite the many efforts made by the Togolese government in the fight for the definitive elimination of female genital mutilation in the Republic of Togo, through awareness-raising campaigns carried out in the administrative regions by the ministry in charge of social affairs, the evil is still present. This fight faces a number of challenges. The prevention and elimination of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) still faces some major challenges. Among these challenges is the fact that the Togolese people have no national strategy or technique on FGM. As a result, many women continue to engage in the practice. This is to the detriment of Law N°93-016 of November 17 1998, which prohibits female genital mutilation in Togo. Article 1 of this law stipulates that “all forms of female genital mutilation (FGM) practiced by any person in any capacity” are prohibited in Togo. According to the legislative provisions in force in the Republic of Togo, excision and all other forms of female genital mutilation are prohibited throughout the country. In the event of a repeat offence, the penalty is up to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of one million francs (500 euros). However, this lack of financial resources and the absence of effective retraining policies are today the cause of the malaise among practitioners. As a result, excision remains in their memories as the only way to meet their basic needs.
Retraining practitioners: a difficult equation to solve
Putting an end to female genital mutilation in the Democratic Republic of Togo remains a difficult equation to solve. After several years of awareness-raising (14 years in this case) through international days such as the one entitled Tolerance in Togo as part of the elimination of FGM, the issue of financial difficulties is one of the main questions on the minds of many practitioners. For them, excision is a difficult generational legacy to leave behind. It enables the practitioner not only to accompany her husband in the home, but also to safeguard the gains of tradition. Renouncing it therefore requires the setting up of a substantial micro-credit system, without which reconversion would be no more than a utopian dream. So what needs to be done?
Recommendations
Although Togolese authorities at various levels are aware of the danger posed by genital mutilation in the Republic of Togo, the fact remains that they lack multi-sectoral approaches to plug the gaps. The absence of an effective strategy and a proper commitment are at the root of the flood of cases recorded year after year. Action is urgently needed. Faced with the thousands of women and girls at risk of FGM every year, the Togolese authorities should :
- Continue awareness-raising sessions in schools, so that girls can know their rights and be in a position to refuse or denounce excision.
- Between human rights and health rights, we need to adopt a series of resolutions on the elimination of dangerous practices and violence that seriously threaten the health of women and girls; resolutions aimed at promoting women’s rights. This means stepping up action in high-risk areas to eliminate genital mutilation of young girls and women.
- Explicitly grant citizens the right to denounce all dangerous practices affecting the reproductive health of young girls, in this case genital mutilation.
- Take all necessary measures, including the application of texts and laws in force, to raise awareness at grassroots level.
- Provide competent structures with sufficient financial allocations to protect women and girls against this form of violence.
- Create a climate of trust to encourage vulnerable people not to hesitate to denounce all forms of violence affecting the health of young girls.
- Set up a reward system for anyone who can denounce this practice.
- Encourage professional retraining. Otherwise, all efforts will be in vain.
