Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search
« Back to the grid | Next story »

Slowly Changing Painful Customs

Posted Mar 14, 08 7:46 PM CDT in Science & Health,  World 

(Newser) – The practice of female circumcision has been twice banned in Kenya, but nearly 40% of young women still undergo the painful and dangerous rite of passage into married life. The Christian Science Monitor profiles activists at the Tasaru Girls Rescue Center who work with villagers—using role models, lessons about womanhood and hygiene, and most of all, patience—to chip away at the deeply rooted rite. 

"Changing people’s attitudes is not like cut-and-paste on a computer," said one activist. "It takes time." Tasaru also gives shelter and education to girls who run away to avoid the procedure, which can cause miscarriages and maternal deaths. The practice, also called female genital mutilation, is common throughout the Horn of Africa and the Middle East, even in wealthier and well-educated societies.

Source Christian Science Monitor

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Mukasey Steps Into Genital Mutilation Case

    Sep 23, 08 7:29 AM CDT
    Mukasey Steps Into Genital Mutilation Case In an extremely rare move, the US attorney general has stepped into a low-level immigration case and ordered that a victim of female genital mutilation be given another chance at asylum, CNN reports. AG Michael Mukasey slammed a previous decision that said the African woman had no reason to fear further persecution, citing an earlier case in which a woman was mutilated multiple times. More »

Hundreds of Egyptian girls protest the death of a girl during illegal circumcision in Egypt. The practice is a common rite of passage throughout the Horn of Africa and the Middle East.   (AP Photo/Mamdouh Thabet)
A Kenyan mother, shown here, says she will continue female circumcisions even after her daughter ran away and sued her. The practice is common even in a well-off and well-educated country like Kenya.   (KRT Photos)
Female circumcision remains common in Kenya, where it is seen as a rite of passage into marriage. An HIV-positive Kenyan woman is shown in this file photo with her husband and children.   (Magnum Photos)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 1)

Tags

Africa • Kenya • women's rights • human rights activists • female genital mutilation • female circumcision


Loading...

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other World Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »