Female genital mutilations – A testimony

ABSTRACT

In Djibouti, the prevalence of female genital mutilations (FGMs) amounts to 98% and the practice is still in use. When I left, in 1999, I knew I would involve myself in the fight against FGMs and I describe here the outcome of an obstacle course of more than ten years duration. This paper is written on behalf of innumerable women, who could give you a similar account.

Keywords:

• Female genital mutilation
• Africa
• Belgium
• Tradition
• Status of the woman

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am indebted to Jean-Jacques Amy for translating the manuscript which I had originally written in French.

Declaration of interest: The author reports no conflict of interest. The author alone is responsible for the content and the writing of the paper.