Gender Apartheid

This Los Angeles dinner started in a limo. This is not my usual transport when dining with my Ethiopian colleague Boge Gebre. But tonight I was introducing friends from different worlds. Our Los Angeles hosts generously provided the transportation. The car's black velvet interior with blinking lights on the ceiling gave a surreal setting to our conversation about stopping the unbearable practice of female genital mutilation (FGM).

Boge is a modern hero. As a successful catalyst for change she (through her NGO, the Kembatta Women's Self Help Center) has virtually wiped out the practice of FGM in several districts in Southern Ethiopia. A decade ago she returned to her country with one burning goal, "to stop even one girl from being cut!" I asked her how many girls have been spared and she grabbed my hands beaming, paused, and said with great satisfaction, "I don't know the exact number but in 7 of the 8 districts where we work, there is no mutilation of any girl!" Many thousands I told our hosts! In 2006 I was at one of her rallies where some 15,000 people -- from several villages -- came together to celebrate the end of the practice. I've never seen anything like it!

FGM is not the easiest subject to discuss but our hosts remained steadfast listeners. Boge's earnest appeal for improving the life of women and girls in her country brightened the dark interior of the limo where it was all too easy to imagine the razor blades and crude make-shift knives that mutilate girls too young to understand or consent because of a centuries old ritual. A horrendous violation performed by women upon their daughters in the belief they are saving them.

Boge explained her biggest challenge decades earlier was to convince the first mother that her 'uncut' daughter would have a good life; she would be an acceptable wife, bear children and be healthy. That brave mother became one of Boge's best organizers and advocates. Her 'whole' daughter, some 20 years later, is happily married, has two children and is in law school. Boge's enthusiasm filled the car.

The NGO Boge established to do this work is Kembatta Women's Self-Help Center (KMG). They have succeeded in getting more girls into school, and improving health through prevention -- including HIV/AIDS and even building a mother and child hospital to halt the incredibly high rate of maternal and child disease and death. Her NGO's many public health projects have improved the health of all citizens and strengthened their communities.

Her new goal is to stop gender apartheid -- laws that discriminate against women, sanctioned attitudes that keep women from full participation in their communities. Boge implored us to see the connection. Women must have basic human rights and access to full participation in a society if progress is to be continued and sustained. Boge knows this is key to her country's growth and well being. I believe it is critical for our country as well. The United States, along with other western countries, has to finish the work of ensuring a woman's full and fair participation in society. The presidential race of Hillary Clinton was too often a painful reminder that aspects of gender apartheid are alive and well here. Negative attitudes about women are so deeply imbedded in our cultural psyches that so many blatant examples of sexism directed against Clinton were unquestioningly tolerated, especially by the media. Gender apartheid must get back on our political radars.

Those of us in the West could learn and be heartened by the stories of Boge Gebre. KMG and other NGOs are accomplishing what too many think is impossible; improving the quality of life in very poor villages by empowering women. After dramatically reducing FGM in her community, KMG moved to education, medical services, clean water, and livelihood opportunities. Boge and her ever expanding team of committed Ethiopians have advanced their villages by light years.

There are so many successes throughout the developing world that we don't hear about, that don't make it into our media. The continual focus on conflict, corruption and mega-misfortunes has created a lopsided view of so much of the world. As amazing as Boge Gebre is, she is not alone. There are thousands of women and men that have implemented successful initiatives to save and improve lives. There are heroes everywhere making a difference with very few resources and great personal sacrifice. Let's work harder to ensure their stories are told and understood. More of these heroes need to be part of the teams that inform and create poverty alleviation and other development strategies. As the world stands ready to welcome the United States back as a friend and leader in foreign assistance later this year, let's be sure we have the leadership that knows and supports champions like Boge and KMG! Please don't vote for anyone that doesn't. As for gender apartheid? We all have to work to become aware of it, to stop tolerating it in our daily life, on both the community and national levels. It is something that we all must work to abolish. We have a world to save and it'll take champions from all nations, all religions ..... And both genders.

Comments

[fallenknight86]

Know what you're talking about. Male circumcision is removing the fore skin of the penis (which is not 1/3 of the penis, at least not in the normal male anatomy.) Female circumcision is the removal of the entire clitoris, which is why it is much more justly call female genital mutilation. The two procedures can't be compared. To try is to confuse the issue of the pain and suffering the latter practice inflicts on women and girls throughout the developing world.

But to the blog, this argument is besides the point, because the blog is talking about gender inequalities, and raising above it. How is that goal reached? Its a reminder both that parts of Africa are making great steps toward this equality, and that we here in the US, as illustrated by events during the Hilliary's campaign, but not be as close to it as we like to think.

[RadicalRepublican]

What dirves anyone to cut on a child's genitals? Humans are fucking nuts.

[Johnnn]

Whoa! I want a piece of this discussion!
Circumcision of males promotes good hygiene and is better done at infancy than later in life when it is major surgery.
Removal of the foreskin is nothing. I beg to differ that it represents removal of 1/3 of the penis. No way. The penis is intact. It merely is missing a covering which can potentially cause infection anyway. Look at the Jews. They've been doing it right for thousands of years.
FGM, however, makes absolutely no sense. There's no need for that. It's ignorant men in Africa who don't want their women to seek sexual pleasure.

[research]

Female Circumcision is just as hygienic as male Circumcision. so what?

Should we remove on breast from every girl, to cut their cancer risk by 50%?

And what an insult "men can't clean themselves"!

[research]

But MGM, Male genital mutilation is just fine. That's gender apartheid.

[KristenfromMA]

Wow, the first comment is about circumcision. A record!

I understand that you're against circumcision, but how about reserving your comments for a post that is actually about that topic? This is a whole different ball of wax! No one should have his/her body altered without consent, but there is a huge difference in the extent to which circumcision affects a man: it does not threaten a man's life and health, nor does it render him incapable of sexual pleasure.

[research]

Yes, this is about Circumcision, what do you think Female Mutilation is?

"circumcision affects a man: it does not threaten a man's life and health, nor does it render him incapable of sexual pleasure."

That's idiotic. you can't cut off 1/3 of a helpless infant boy penis and seriously believe it won't permanently damage him do you?

The Female circumcision promoters all say the same of similar stuff about FGM.

But you Misandronists always thinks is much worse if it happens to a girl.