She is tall, elegant and slim, with a flawless skin that shown in the light of day, yet would prefer to be swallowed up by the earth and hidden from scrutiny and prying eyes. She does not know who else to talk to, or what else to do.
Her thirteen weeks old marriage is on the verge of breaking up, with the incessant divorce threats that her newly wedded husband whom she loves dearly has been throwing at her.
No medical diagnosis or proffered solution from articles in Magazines and other books has been able to help her with the problem of rigidity in sexual activities, which has been a challenge since the first night of her honeymoon.
Her husband had shown a little bit of understanding initially after she had explained the cultural practice that led to this stress being induced in her marriage, but has increasingly grown impatient over the weeks and months with what he describes as ‘a militant against their satisfactory sexual life’”.
The above extract is from a case study on the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), extensively found in Africa, and whose so called purpose is to mark the transition from childhood to womanhood.
This chauvinistic act (in the name of female circumcision), is seen as part of the rites of passage or initiation ceremonies intended to impart the skills and information the woman will need to fulfill her duties as wife and mother.
However, mild or severe, this practice ultimately reduces the woman’s sexual desires and ensures her virginity until marriage.
…TO BE CONTINUED
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