AFNET – get out
witchdoctor!
By Mary Wright
One Saturday in July this year there was an immense demo in Dodoma centre:
milling multitudes processing here and there, most of them sporting a bright
blue T-shirt with the legend AFNET. There were banners in addition, bearing the
same device.
Hoping to find out what was going on and maybe get a blue T-shirt myself, I
questioned three participants, who informed me that this was an organization for
combating female genital mutilation. “Does that still go on?” I asked in horror.
They assured me that it did, especially in the villages, and in the context of
initiation ceremonies.
Initiation ceremonies are something Europeans envy, there’s nothing comparable
in our culture to mark the passing from childhood to adulthood in a mystical
way.
But, although male circumcision is perfectly understandable and not harmful when
carried out hygienically, there’s nothing whatever to justify female so-called
circumcision; women have no superfluous parts to their body, except the hymen,
which is normally broken on the wedding night.
Soon after the processions, AFNET set up their offices along Kuu Street and I
went to ask the lady in charge for an interview. Sarah Mwaga, an accountant by
profession, who has worked in this movement since 1996, at first voluntarily
then part- time, then full-time.
She told me about AFNET’s work in the provinces of Arusha, Dodoma, Singida,
Iringa, Morogoro and the Coast. It carries out research, produces literature,
trains people and sends teams out into the villages.
How can it be that in this day and age girls are still subjected to an operation
that has no medical value but on the contrary can lead to scarring, infection,
added difficulty in child-bearing, urinal and faecal incontinence, even death?
Naturally, since it has been illegal in Tanzania since 1998, the ceremony is
carried out in secret, or else girls are hidden amongst the boys when there’s a
boys’ initiation.
But, since AFNET started its activities many communities have abandoned the
practice and more than 250 so-called professional circumcisers of girls have not
only given up the practice but have become members of AFNET.
One belief that contributed to FGM was that lawalawa (an inflammation of the
genital parts) could be cured by “circumcision”, but people are now persuaded to
send lawalawa sufferers to hospital.
What can replace these ceremonies as signs of initiation? Could there be a rite
which celebrated the beginning of menstruation for a group of girls at the
appropriate time?
Maybe sociologists can tell us. It’s undeniable that the transition into a full
member of the community is a wonderful thing, and should have a measure of
mysticism, but not sorcery!