What if I told you that this nonsense happened, and will continue to happen, because of the misogynistic society we live in? Many men have been socialized to believe that they have the right to objectify women and feel entitled to their bodies, regardless of how young or old they are.
99% of women and girls in Somalia have been mutilated in the following way: the clitoris is cut off, along with the inner labia. Then the inner flesh of the outer labia is removed before both sides are sewn tightly together, leaving a hole no bigger than a matchstick for urine and menses to trickle through.
All of this is done in childhood, and without any form of anesthesia whatsoever. Sometimes the little girl is given a scrap of leather or a stick to bite down on. The cutters use old razor blades, or sometimes a piece of broken glass.
This is only the beginning of a girl’s pain.
Most wedding nights in Somalia are aided by “the little knife” — that is, the new husband slices his bride open so that he can penetrate her now cut and bleeding scar tissue. Some men, however, simply batter their way through, tearing that tiny hole open by sheer force. When a woman goes into labor, she’s cut open more widely, then sewn back up afterwards so that when sex resumes she will have to be cut open yet again.
This practice leads to countless deaths from infection and a drastic increase in maternal mortality, but Somali men still refuse to marry uncut women, forcing mothers to have their daughters cut or face social stigma. Uncut girls are seen as dirty; the term for clitoris is a playground taunt in Somalia, and girls who are not cut are usually ostracized by their peers.
The Somali government recently debated the legality of this appalling custom, and the parliament largely split along gender lines. Female MPs roundly condemned FGM, while male MPs insisted that having a clitoris made a woman more difficult to penetrate, and quoted the hadith in which Muhammad condoned the practice. These are educated men who nevertheless claim that cutting a girl is necessary in order to control her sexuality, and that an uncut woman will be promiscuous and untrustworthy.
In spite of the Somali government’s continued support for FGM, foreign aid continues to flow into Somalia unobstructed. The West should refuse to give the Somali government so much as a single dollar until they outlaw FGM and take positive steps to combat the problem.
One tactic that has been highly successful involves showing Somali men a video of a girl being mutilated. Because FGM is seen as women’s business, most men have no idea what it entails. Men who watch this video are horrified, and the most common reaction has been “Not my daughter!” This proves that FGM is not hopelessly entrenched in Somali culture. Western pressure and resources could make an enormous difference in the lives of Somali women and girls, and put a stop to this barbaric practice.
Sometimes, people see you starting over and have no idea how much it took for you to get there.
I once owned a salon that I worked so hard to build. When my landlord started making things difficult for me, I decided to move to another shop at Spintex.
After a painful breakup, I wanted a way out of the pain, and the opportunity to travel out of the country for a job seemed like the fresh start I needed. I sold most of my salon equipment to fund the trip, even though my consultant advised me to keep them in case things didn’t work out.
Unfortunately, the job turned out to be a scam. Everything I had hoped for fell apart, and I had to find a way to survive and eventually return to Ghana.
Coming back wasn’t easy either. My former clients had moved on, and despite trying to reconnect with them, I struggled to rebuild what I had lost. I decided to upgrade my nail skills and try again.
When I returned abroad, hoping to find my feet, things still didn’t work out. I tried other business opportunities, including importation, but I was scammed again by a shipping agent. It took the intervention of the CID unit of the Ghana Police Service to help me retrieve part of my goods.
Today, after all the losses, disappointments, tears, and countless attempts to start over, I have finally secured a shop and made it beautiful enough to welcome clients again.
And guess what? I’m scared.
I’ve tried twice in Ghana and twice abroad. I’ve lost money, opportunities, clients, and parts of myself along the way. Now that I’m finally ready to reopen, I find myself crying and battling anxiety because I’m afraid of failing again.
But despite the fear, I still want to try.
I’m sharing this because sometimes, the people who look strong are fighting battles nobody knows about. Starting over isn’t easy, especially when you’ve been disappointed so many times.
Tomorrow, I’m choosing to try again. Not because I’m fearless, but because a part of me still believes things can work out.
Please say a prayer for me and my business. 🥹🙏🏽❤️
we’re trying again. One more time
Sometimes, people see you starting over and have no idea how much it took for you to get there.
I once owned a salon that I worked so hard to build. When my landlord started making things difficult for me, I decided to move to another shop at Spintex.
After a painful breakup, I wanted a way out of the pain, and the opportunity to travel out of the country for a job seemed like the fresh start I needed. I sold most of my salon equipment to fund the trip, even though my consultant advised me to keep them in case things didn’t work out.
Unfortunately, the job turned out to be a scam. Everything I had hoped for fell apart, and I had to find a way to survive and eventually return to Ghana.
Coming back wasn’t easy either. My former clients had moved on, and despite trying to reconnect with them, I struggled to rebuild what I had lost. I decided to upgrade my nail skills and try again.
When I returned abroad, hoping to find my feet, things still didn’t work out. I tried other business opportunities, including importation, but I was scammed again by a shipping agent. It took the intervention of the CID unit of the Ghana Police Service to help me retrieve part of my goods.
Today, after all the losses, disappointments, tears, and countless attempts to start over, I have finally secured a shop and made it beautiful enough to welcome clients again.
And guess what? I’m scared.
I’ve tried twice in Ghana and twice abroad. I’ve lost money, opportunities, clients, and parts of myself along the way. Now that I’m finally ready to reopen, I find myself crying and battling anxiety because I’m afraid of failing again.
But despite the fear, I still want to try.
I’m sharing this because sometimes, the people who look strong are fighting battles nobody knows about. Starting over isn’t easy, especially when you’ve been disappointed so many times.
Tomorrow, I’m choosing to try again. Not because I’m fearless, but because a part of me still believes things can work out.
Please say a prayer for me and my business. 🥹🙏🏽❤️
we’re trying again. One more time
@MTNGhana I am concerned about your sponsorship of Shatta Wale given recent discussions around fraud. At a time when mobile money fraud is a major issue for Ghanaians, this partnership sends the wrong message. Kindly clarify your position.
Shatta Wale blasted the government for bringing the FBI to arrest fraud suspects instead of providing jobs for the youth, threatening to contest for president if the situation continues.
He added that he has so many friends involved in fraud, but they’d never snitch.
@MTNGhana I am concerned about your sponsorship of Shatta Wale given recent discussions around fraud. At a time when mobile money fraud is a major issue for Ghanaians, this partnership sends the wrong message. Kindly clarify your position.