"It is not MUTILATION. It is CIRCUMCISION. Just like a boy is circumcised, so is a girl. It is you educated people that is causing all the problems in our rural communities." These were the words of a very respected beautiful 80+ Grandma in Evbiobe (Sabogidda-Ora.)
We had a very interesting 50 minutes chat with her. Very informative and educative. She claimed to be a stack illiterate but we didn't see any of that in her.
She married at a very early age to a fantastic man who cared so deeply for her and her children. Her story on circumcising a girl child amused us all. She was circumcised as an adult after she married her husband which is the tradition of her people. Circumcision was done in her home. She stressed that women who were not circumcised were viewed as being incomplete. She was brought back home to be circumcised after her husband disvirgined her (she smiled as she said this). She was given £1.00 (One pound) by her husband in appreciation for her purity.
Why did they take her back after this? She said that it was time to do the needful. A native senior mid-wife performed the minor operation on her. She remained at home (matrimonial home) for 7 days without having to do any domestic chores. All she did was eat only fresh food and drink water fetched from the river daily.
Mama "Beautiful" did not see anything wrong in circumcising a girl child. When asked if she did same to her daughters, haba! Yes now I did it for all my daughters although I did not wait for them to be married. I did theirs when they were in secondary school.
What is the significance of this act we asked? She replied that it puts a check to promiscuity. Also, it aids in painless childbirth. A circumcised woman according to Mama can have up to 12 children.
She said she has even advised her daughters to get her grand-daughters circumcised but they have told her that it is against the law.
In a very stern voice, she asked what is governments business in circumcising a girl child eh? We told her that it is a global thing. Then she said, we have far too many global issues in the world to deal with; this should be least of any governments problem. She reminded us that this is a cultural thing and that things of our ancestors should not be tampered with. Besides, the woman truly had no choice although we reminded Mama that the choice of circumcising an adult woman should be left entirely to her since it is her body. We asked "Mama, if you have an opportunity to having a young daughter, would you circumcise her knowing it's implications?" Mama said she would damn the consequences and do it again and again. Bring your police to catch me.
Interesting Beautiful old woman!
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