BAMAKO, Mali, August 28, 2008 — More than 85% of Malian women undergo female genital cutting (FGC). And no law exists to confront this fact even though legislation against the practice was passed in 2002. FGC can cause maternal and infant mortality, infection, sterility, psychological and physical harm. But the adverse effects of violating the fundamental rights of girls and women go beyond the physical.
With financing from The Federal Republic of Germany through KfW Entwicklungsbank (the German development bank), PSI/Mali is working to reduce the incidence of FGC. It partnered with Mali’s national committee — le Programme National de Lutte contre l’Excision (PNLE) in 2007 and launched the first TV spot to ever air on FGC, which addressed the stigmatization of non-excised women in the country.
Efforts continued that year to address the widespread belief that female circumcision is obligatory for those practicing Islam. PSI/Mali and its partners organized a workshop – entitled “Islam and Excision, According to the Koran and Hadith.” Experts and leaders from all eight regions of the country, as well as Côte d’Ivoire and the Al Azar University of Egypt, participated in the event.
PNLE and PSI/Mali then recruited Karamoko Befo, a well-known Muslim preacher in Mali, as their spokesperson against FGC. Befo had previously publicly claimed that female circumcision was obligatory for Muslim families, but after further study of the Koran and Hadiths he changed his mind.
PSI/Mali worked with Befo to develop a mass media campaign focusing on the origins of female circumcision; lack of evidence in the Koran that female circumcision is obligatory and that the daughters of the prophet were circumcised; and the medical consequences of the procedure. The campaign, which launched in May, uses radio programs to broadcast messages against FGC.
The campaign has sparked a debate over the internet, in the local press and on the radio. To further open the dialogue on FGC, several radio programs have been broadcast to offer listeners an opportunity to call in with opinions.
The Minister for the Advancement of Women, Children and Family, the PNLE and local and international NGOs have asked PSI/Mali to continue its communication campaigns against FGC.
As part of its future programs, PSI/Mali plans to develop TV spots to raise awareness about the negative health impact of FGC and to develop a kit, which includes materials and suggested activities to promote the abandonment of FGC.