Published 2/6/2015 Turning their backs on tradition Female genital cutting is on the verge of ending in . By providing information about human rights and health consequences, has helped women take control of their bodies. Republic of Senegal

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Photo: Lotta Härdelin Lotta Photo: Population: 13.9 million The women’s colorful tunics and of girls is removed, often before Main languages: Wolof, French headscarves stand out in stark con- the age of two — a practice they GDP per capita: Over 14 000 SEK trast to the barren and dusty desert thought was necessary — a tradi- landscape that lie on the outskirts tion which was passed down from Life expectancy: 63 years of the village of Younoufere in mother to daughter for genera- Export Products: Canned fish, northern Senegal. At midday it is tions. peanuts, oil products unbearably hot, but the women’s “We will step forward one by Source: NE meeting begins with singing and one and defend this decision,” says dancing. They then roll out their Diallo. Three million girls mats in the shade of two big neem One hundred and twenty other are cut every year. trees. Some have carried their plas- communities in the conservative tic chairs from their own huts. Muslim area, known as the Fouta, Female Genital Cutting (FGC) oc- Mariata Diallo begins to speak. have also decided to join in this curs in at least 30 countries, most She clearly states something almost collective declaration along with of them in Africa. The procedure, too good to be true. The women Younoufere. in which the clitoris and labia are have collectively decided that it The women enthusiastically plan removed, is associated with signif- is best to put an end to the tradi- for a celebration with thousands icant health risks. According to the tional practice of female genital of participants who will publicly World Health Organization (WHO) cutting. In a solemn ceremony, they declare their decision to end FGC. three million girls are cut each will turn their backs on a practice Only a few years ago, a similar year and there are 140 million during which the clitoris and labia event would have been totally women who have undergone FGC worldwide. unthinkable. Photo: Lotta Härdelin “The tradition was The result of Tostan’s work is perpetuated without not yet visible in the statistics of us ever question- genitally cut women, according to Molly Melching. The girls are cut ing it. We assumed young, the statistics are based on that these practices adult women. But more than 7,000 were required by our villages have now said no to FGC. religion. But when we asked the Imam Tostan’s three-year education about this, we were program (the Community Em- powerment Program) is founded told that there is on human rights and democra- nothing in the Koran cy. Participants also learn about that says girls must health and hygiene and are taught undergo this opera- to read, write and do math. tion,” says Haby Fary Sow. The NGO was founded by Molly The women Melching 24 years ago. Today Tostan works in six countries in learned that the West Africa: Senegal, , practice can have Gambia, , Guinea Bissau significant health and . The organization has consequences. more than 1,000 employees. “The turning point Molly Melching, Director and CEO , Tostan In total, more than 7,000 villages came when we learned about in eight countries have publicly tion sweeping through thousands declared they will end FGC and human rights. That’s when we of villages in Senegal; however, she three million people have been decided that FGC is a violation of is quick to say that it is the villagers affected by these declarations. In children’s rights. We also realized themselves who are the source of Senegal, the Government expects that some of the complications we that FGC will end in several years. the movement. had experienced during childbirth “I was just as surprised as ev- were most likely due to FGC.” For many years, Tostan has been eryone else when the first village supported by the Swedish branch When the women finally started made the decision to abandon FGC. of Tostan: Tostan Sweden (www. talking to each other, it was as if a There were discussions on human tostan.se) of which Anne Char- button was pushed. Everyone had rights that led to the decision. I be- lotte Ringquist is chairman. Other an experience to relate. supporters in Sweden include Sida, lieve that when people have access “I put a lot of time and thought UNICEF Sweden, Radiohjälpen, to good information, they make into this decision. It’s terrible that the Postcode Lottery, the Malin wise decisions in order to improve so many women have suffered, but and Lennart Philipson Foundation, their lives,” says Melching when Berth von Kanzows Foundation there’s no point feeling guilty about we meet her in the village of Keur and the Tam Group. it because we were doing what we Simbara, an hour’s drive from the thought was right. Instead, I now capital city of Dakar. Molly Melching and Tostan have feel proud to be involved in this received several international But it’s Melching’s initially small- decision to speak out,” says Lourel awards, including the Conrad N. scale development project that Sow. Hilton Humanitarian Prize (the explains why village after village in world’s largest humanitarian She keeps her daughter Soua- Senegal and several neighboring prize), the Anna Lindh Human dou, nine months old, in her arms. countries in West Africa have cho- Rights Award and the Skoll Award “My daughter, and her future sen to abandon this most ancient for Social Entrepreneurship. The children and grandchildren, will be World Health Organization (WHO), custom of FGC. Tostan’s three-year able to avoid the health problems has named Tostan’s program one education program has led to a caused by this tradition,” she con- of the best approaches for sustain- mass movement at the grassroots tinues. able development. level. The new knowledge, based The American development on human rights, has been a worker, Molly Melching, could take beacon of light which has helped credit for the revolutionary innova- people be able to choose new done something wrong or misun- or ‘stop that.’ A current example alternatives. derstood some important signal. I is the countries affected by Ebola The movement has spread so never put the blame on the people epidemic. Just to drum out the quickly that the Government of in the villages,” says Melching. message ‘stop shaking hands with Senegal expects that FGC could end After a few years of living in Sen- everyone’ without explaining how in the country within a few years. egal Melching had learned to speak germs are spread does not work,” Melching has been active in Wolof, the national language, flu- she says. Senegal for 40 years. She arrived ently. She worked teaching children Melching is a popular guest in there as a 24-year-old exchange to read in that language. Because the village of Keur Simbara where student from the University of all children’s books were written at the education program was con- Illinois in 1974. Melching expected that time in French, she decided to ducted in the late 1990s. Several to do African studies for six months write African children’s stories in times we stop for villagers who and then return to the US, but she Wolof. want to tell me something or just remained in Senegal. The model Her first contact with develop- greet her. For three years, Melch- of education which she developed ment work came when she was ing lived in a simple hut in a village over such a long period of time is hired as an interpreter for several some distance away. In Saam Njaay today being hailed by the likes of international organizations. Molly she lacked electricity and running Hillary Clinton, former President became disheartened when she water as she kicked off a project Jimmy Carter and Melinda Gates saw how donors with good inten- to empower women in rural areas. and has received several presti- tions often failed to achieve the She realized how important perse- gious awards. results they had hoped for. verance was for doing sustainable “I have made many mistakes “I learned that it was important development work. over the years. When something to start from people’s everyday “Anyone who wants to achieve does not work I get frustrated, but lives and speak their language. You results in development must be I realize it’s always me who has can not just go in and say ‘do this’ patient, there is no other way. If Photo: Lotta Härdelin

The women of Younoufere prepare for a declaration ceremony where they will abandon the tradition of female genital cutting once and for all. Photo: Lotta Härdelin

Dancing and singing are a vital part of everyday life in Younoufere. you don’t have the patience, it is priorities. Often, health-related It was during such a discussion perhaps better to refrain from the issues or opportunities to increase in a makeshift classroom in the beginning,” says Melching. their income are first on their list. village of Malicounda Bambara Saam Njaay laid the founda- We don’t tell participants what to that the subject of FGC first came tion for Tostan as Melching tested think or what they need, rather we up in 1996. To the amazement of materials on a small scale. Dances, give them information and skills the village facilitator, the women theater and traditional stories were they need, always in local languag- concluded that it was not right for an important part of village life es,” she says. their children to have to undergo a and became an integral part of the Tostan means “breakthrough” in practice that could endanger their program. She saw that through a Wolof, the breakthrough moment health. Melching was surprised participatory methodology, people when the chicken pecks its way out when this information reached her. started learning and questioning and emerges through the egg shell. Talking about everyday problems certain traditional practices. The big breakthrough for Molly was one thing, but to question a “Presenting a program which Melching came when she includ- thousand-year-old tradition was was intended exclusively for wom- ed human rights education in the something else entirely. Melching’s en aroused the suspicion of the Tostan program. first reaction was that as a foreign- men who were not included. The “Suddenly, the pieces fell into er, she should not interfere, but same thing happened when we did place. All people have the same hu- the women were very determined programs just for youth. It was only man rights, but also responsibilities and wanted to publicly talk about when we included all the villagers towards one another. A man cannot the practice. Thus, the ball was set that things started working,” says hit his wife, but his wife also has rolling. Melching. responsibilities towards her hus- Almost 20 years later, more than “Tostan never comes to a new band and her children. The villagers 7,000 villages and three million community with ready-made were able to make connections and people have rejected both FGC and solutions. The course is designed adapt this learning to their own child marriage. Tostan has more to help villagers work on their own realities,” she says. than 1,000 employees and a large office in the city of Thies. The mod- Diawara. “Still, I was quite sure that in Senegal for how she relates to el has garnered continued support there would be real problems if one the country’s culture and religion. from, among other organizations, village alone stopped practicing the When Tostan establishes itself in the United Nations Children’s Fund tradition. The tradition was a way a new area, they always meet first (UNICEF), and Melching has been for young women to be respected with the religious and traditional cited as one of the most influential in the community and ensured leaders and listen carefully to their figures in the development world. their future marriage. The risk was advice. “Today I am often asked if I could that by ending the tradition and In the conservative Fouta re- do a shorter version of the Tostan improving the health of our girls, gion in the north, she was met in training, but the program is and they would then become outcasts. the beginning with demonstrators remains three years. There is no If a village wanted to abandon the who burned tires outside the hotel shortcut to sustainable change. tradition, it would be necessary where she was staying. But in this Again it is about patience, but this for the other villages in the social same region today, the influential also might create funding prob- network to do the same in order to religious leader, Ibrahima Sow and lems when UN agencies and other change the social norm.” his wife Aissata Ba, in the village of donors can only provide funding for Diawara decided to initiate a Velingara, are two of the organiza- one year at a time,” says Melching. campaign of persuasion. He walked tion’s main supporters. Along with health, hygiene and to villages where his relatives lived, “I have always been interested sustainable development, par- and then to other communities in development. I got in touch ticipant discussions on FGC have which were interconnected. For with Tostan during a trip many now become a cornerstone of the over 13 years, he visited a total of years ago. When they came here I program, but it was slow in the 347 villages along with his niece realized at once that much in the beginning. The women in Mali- and nephew. village would change,” says Ibrahi- counda Bambara bravely stood “Sometimes the mood was so ma Sow. up to make this decision, but they hostile that you could were met with disbelief from all cut the air with a Photo: Lotta Härdelin sides because the tradition had knife. It took courage, always been perceived as a pillar of intelligence and diplo- society. macy. We had to visit The women’s initiatives would many of the villages probably have died out if it were several times - the not for the religious leader Demba people needed time Diawara in the village of Keur Sim- to digest the informa- bara. The 80-year-old man is one of tion and talk among Melching’s key advisers. He offers themselves,” he said. us strong mint tea in a small glass The large public as we walk between family huts declarations where and says with pride that he was people from many vil- invited to speak at a UN meeting in lages gather is a result New York. of Diawara’s insightful “When I first heard that women strategy. There you wanted to stop cutting their girls I are sure that everyone was horrified. I went to see Molly is represented, but Melching and told her not to inter- even if, in the commu- fere in one of our oldest traditions. nities, one hundred She explained that the women’s percent do not agree decision was based on harmful to ending, you are still health consequences and asked me building critical mass to go ask medical doctors, talk with among those who do religious leaders and the women agree. themselves. I realized pretty quickly Melching is appre- 80-year-old Demba Diawara is one of the key that it was I who was wrong,” says ciated in most camps thought leaders of Tostan. Photo: Lotta Härdelin

Tostan’s youth caravan travels from village to village and performs short skits on human rights and democracy.

The Imam is well known in many is not visible and the Imam says an old tradition. The education villages and he understood that he jokingly that we should look for a has brought us so much more that would be asked many questions group of women who are sweeping makes a big difference in our every- about Islam’s view on female geni- the village streets or planting trees day life. Women who never attend- tal cutting. if we want to talk to her. Through ed school have learned to read and “Very many people, even those Tostan, women have learned the do math. The whole village has who are themselves deeply reli- importance of cleanliness and na- been given a completely different gious, believe that FGC is a religious ture conservation. future,” says Aissata Ba. rite, but that’s not true. There is We find Aissata Ba along with 20 The women in Velingara live a nothing in our sacred texts requir- or so women who have been meet- hard life in a remote part of Sene- ing women to be cut. The tradition ing. The three-year program is over gal, near the border with Maurita- has a different origin. Why would but the Community Committees nia. The families live from livestock Islam advocate an action that can continue to meet regularly. and from cultivating millet. harm women’s health?” says Sow. The next day, we find a group The discussions on hygiene and “I give the same answer to ev- of young people from the village, health have laid the foundation for eryone who comes here or calls to getting ready to leave to participate major changes. Vaccinations make inquire. Sometimes I get accused in a youth caravan that will travel kids healthier. Infant mortality of being corrupted and bought by through the Fouta to spread aware- decreases when women take care Tostan, but I simply refer people to ness on human rights through of themselves and go for prenatal other religious leaders. Then they theater and song. In the village visits during pregnancy. And cases get the same answer from them,” meanwhile, people are preparing of malaria decrease when weeds he says. their public declaration to end FGC. are cleared and puddles filled in During our visit, two of the “That we have ended FGC is outside the huts and when the vil- Imam’s five children come home amazing — it feels strange that it lagers regularly use mosquito nets. from school. His wife, Aissata Ba, went so fast given that it is such “Now we go to the doctor when children are ill. We always tried ents about children’s rights. If that to school rather than being put to to cure our children’s fevers by does not help, we go to the Imam work. The school is becoming the using leaves from the large tree in and ultimately to the local govern- norm for children now,” says Cum- the middle of the village. Now, we ment authority in his office locat- ba Camara. learned that the leaves can cause ed at the outskirts of the village. “At first I was a little nervous that diarrhea,” says Ba. Both child marriage and female the men would not accept me as I Soap has become an important genital cutting are of course illegal learned rights in class but had little commodity in the village. All wash in Senegal,” she says. practice. But it went well from day their hands before meals and after One result of Tostan’s program one, and now people even come using the toilet. Now women can is that thousands of villages have often to my hut to ask my opinion laugh at how they used to cook become more democratic and on issues.” with one hand and wipe their chil- egalitarian. After the training, the In Keur Simbara, the 60-year- dren’s bottoms with the other. women dare to speak out and old housewife Duusu Konate has The girls in Velingara were often participate freely. They become become a model for the whole married to adult men when they candidates for political elections village and for many other wom- were twelve, sometimes even and win over male candidates. en. She learned to read and write younger. Now, child marriage has 19,000 women have been elect- when she was over 40 years old. ended as community members ed to leadership positions in the Five years ago she went to India learned about children’s rights. Ba villages. for six months and learned how to tells us that a community Peace In Velingara, the 42-year-old construct solar units. Since then, Committee intervenes if parents Cumba Camara now fully partici- she has provided all the village huts in the community are suspected pates in community activities. with solar electricity. of planning a marriage for a young “The village feels better about “When the village voted to send girl. women having a say in decisions. a representative to travel to the “First, the Peace Committee goes I think we are also now more Barefoot College in India, they to the family and talks to the par- concerned about children going chose me. My husband was sur- Photo: Lotta Härdelin

In Velingara, 42-year-old Cumba Camara now fully participates in community activities. Photo: Lotta Härdelin

Twelve-year-old Dieynaba Ba in Younoufere thinks that the most important information is that girls have the right to go to school. prised, but I explained that it was smile as Konate tells her story has even had a branch in Sweden my right to go. He had also been even though she has heard it many for more than ten years. through the program and so could times. As the sun begins to set over not agree more,” says Konate. “It shows that knowledge of Keur Simbara, Melching takes us “Ten years ago it would never human rights makes a big differ- back to Thies to Tostan’s training have happened. When I think back, ence. What makes me most proud center. A training session is going I realize that women of all ages of Tostan is that we achieve change on there linked to one of Tostan’s have been discriminated against. by starting from the equality of all new projects that Molly particularly The change we are experiencing is people,” she says. loves (Reinforcement of Parental probably bigger and more import- When she looks back on her Practices). ant than we can understand.” four decades in Senegal, she is “We encourage women to talk Konate shows us her small solar most pleased with her work at the more with their babies and tod- workshop located in a village hut. grassroots level. dlers. There is a misconception When the solar panels started to “It would have perhaps been here that children only begin to break, it was impossible to get re- easier to accept a position as a learn when they go to school. So placement parts. But she searched consultant or in an international far, the results in the villages have for a long time in the local market organization, but I have managed been astonishing,” she says. and finally was able to use spare to stick to my original ambition,” A few days after our visit, Melch- parts she found in a motorcycle she says. ing turned 65. In the past 40 years shop to substitute for the solar After a many years, Molly Melch- she has hardly had much of a pri- parts. ing now spends less time in the vate life but quickly waves away the “It was a great triumph. Many villages as she must travel around idea of retirement. other villages had the same prob- the world to do fundraising. “I just think about all the people lem and I was the one who came Although she describes Tostan as who have a better life thanks to up with a solution,” Konate says a stable African organization, most Tostan. As long as there is more to proudly. of the financing comes from Eu- do, I will continue,” she says. Melching is listening with a big rope and the United States. Tostan