Warrior Marks (1993)

Warrior Marks, subtitled "Female Genital Mutilation and the Sexual Blinding of Women" was produced by Alice Walker and directed by Pratibha Parmar. The 54-minute documentary film examines the phenomenon of female mutilation/circumcision that affects one hundred million women, with all its cultural and political complexities. The film cuts in interviews with women from Senegal, Gambia, Burkino Faso, the United States and England who are concerned with and affected by genital mutilation/circumcision as well as Alice Walker’s personal reflections on the subject.

This film was launched and viewed in 1993 in England as well as the Film Festival but has not been available for viewing or purchase since. I am still trying to track down a copy. This film should be available at every University/College that offers Women's Studies programs. They do not show an actual procedure-taking place in this film because they feel that it would be contributing to the violent act itself in addition to further violating the girls Human Rights.

Why Egypt Banned FGM?

The Egyptian Health ministry passed a law banning the practice of FGM on June 28, 2007 after the death of 12-year-old Badour Shaker, an Egyptian girl who died during her "circumcision" in an illegal clinic. She died due to the result of an overdose of anesthesia. Her mother, Zeniab Abdel Ghani paid 50 Egyptian pounds (appprox. $9 US dollars) to a female doctor to perform the procedure. After the death of Badour, the female doctor later tried to pay Ms. Ghani 15,000 Egyptian pounds (approx. $3,000 US dollars) to withdraw the lawsuit, but she refused.

The Egyptian Health Ministry also issued a decree on female circumcision, stating that it is "prohibited for any doctors, nurses, or any other person to carry out any cut of, flattening or modification of any natural part of the female reproductive system, either in government hospitals, non government or any other places" (International Herald Tribune). The decree that the Egyptian Health Ministry issued is another powerful force for the eradication of the practice of FGM.

Eventhough this practice has been banned, it is still happening and now in secret. Please see video clip on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEe5hgrVti0

International Day of Zero Tolerance of Female Genital Mutilation

is celebrated on February 6th each year since 2003.


FGM/C is the act of hurting a female regardless of her age; fragile, innocent and beautiful.

Amnesty International - uses a rose to simulate genital mutilation

"Every year, two million girls suffer the pain of genital mutilation – a clear violation of their human rights." No government should continue to ignore this crime. Help us to stop violence against women. Give your support at http://www.amnesty.org/en

Questions & Answers to "What is FGM?" Post

Are the females or the males in these families pushing for this process? For most, the mother, father, family and/or community members want this procedure to take place. The mothers of these girls, who themselves were victims of this practice, are the ones who give their consent or search for a midwife to perform this procedure.

Does this practice have something to do with religion, tradition or punishment? Cultural and religious traditions are a main factor in the continuation of FGM; but it is not a religious requirement. Societies that practice FGM, believe that the tradition is a necessary “rite of passage”. The age in which the procedure of FGM occurs varies because of this belief, but most girls are between the ages of four and twelve years. Some girls are as young as two weeks old, to women who are about to be married, or during the first pregnancy.

I have heard that males of the family to females perform it in order to make their first sexual encounter "unpleasant" and they will not be inclined to be active before marriage. Usually, an older female in the village known as a midwife, who has not had any medical training, performs the procedure of FGM. This practice guarantees the girls/women remain virgins to ensure marriage and preserve their honor. It keeps her sexuality under control because it lessens the possibility of promiscuity before and after marriage.

Are mothers having it done to their daughters to make them unwanted sexually? No! What about after girls grow up to be women and get married? A girl that has not undergone the procedure is considered impure; is shunned by her community and sometimes considered fatal to the man’s health. The dishonored family could not marry her without the "rite of passage" from childhood to adulthood. This procedure makes the girl good marriage material. The ritual often involves a celebration, afterwards in which the girl receives gifts, and the community honors her family. The family can now find a mate for their daughter.

Are there complications in childbirth from having it done earlier in a girl’s life? Yes, there are complications in childbirth and it does not matter how old the girl/woman was when the procedure was performed. A complication that can arise is the death to the unborn child because the opening is not large enough (WHO). During childbirth, enlarging the opening takes place to give way for the birth in the majority of women who have undergone the severest form of FGM.

What are the top five countries where this practice is most prevalent? Top 5 in numerical order to include Prevalence (%): #1 Indonesia at 100%, #2 Guinea at 98.6%, #3 Egypt at 97.3%, #4 Mali at 91.6%, #5 Djibouti at 90-98%, Somalia at 90-98% and Sudan at 90%. Click on link to see results of "FGM/C Around the World" and the Type that is performed: http://www.fgmnetwork.org/intro/world.php

What is FGM?

FGM is the practice of the removal of all or parts of the external female genitalia. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the practice of FGM into one of three major categories: clitoridectomy, excision, and infibulations. A clitoridectomy is the partial or total removal of the clitoris and the least invasive. An excision is the partial or total removal of the clitoris and the labia minora. The most invasive is infibulation, which is the removal of the clitoris, labia minora, and stitching together of the labia majora. Infibulation leaves a tiny opening in the vagina so that urine and menstrual fluid can pass through. This procedure requires binding together the legs until the stitches hold. Another category holds all other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes, for example, pricking, piercing, and/or incising of the clitoris and/or labia. Scraping the tissue around the vaginal opening or cutting the vagina is another type of procedure. An additional procedure is cauterizing the vagina, and this involves the burning of the clitoris and the surrounding tissues. Lastly, in order to cause the vagina to bleed, the midwife inserts corrosive substances or she inserts herbs into the vagina with the goal of tightening or narrowing the vagina (4).

Female Genital Mutilation

One of the biggest issues facing the international world as well as the western world is the continued practice of female genital mutilation (FGM). FGM has affected over 100 million girls and women in the world. They come from all social and economic classes, from the privileged and professional to the regular villager. The World Health Organization (WHO) claims that every single year, approximately 3 million girls are in jeopardy of undergoing FGM (1). The practice of FGM violates basic human rights. It is a type of violence and discrimination against girls and women. It is a global problem that has harmful consequences. Educating society about the dangers and consequences of FGM must be encouraged in order to eradicate this practice.