UGANDA
FGM In Uganda
FGM can be traced back to the Pokot found in the Amudat district before it spread to the Tepeth of Moroto as a result of intermarriages between the Tepeth and the Pokot. In Uganda, the prevalence of FGM is low and is estimated at 1.4% in women and girls between the ages of 15-49.
It is mainly practised by the ethnic groups of the Sabiny (estimated at 50%) living in the eastern region, and the Pokot (almost universally estimated at 95%) in the Karamoja region in northeastern Uganda bordering Kenya. The Sabiny practice Type I and II while the Pokot practice Type III and IV. Although the overall prevalence of FGM in Uganda has come down from 1.4% in 2011 to 0.3%, Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS), there are pockets of locations where the practice is on the rise (Sserugo,2020). FGM is still prevalent due to the “mockery and shaming that uncut married women experience from peers and other wives (in polygamous communities) and to their not being allowed to attend male circumcision ceremonies”.
Cutting season is the most feared time for girl, this usually takes place at the end of an even-numbered school year during winter (December and January), or summer (June and July). This allows the girls to recover from the procedure before returning to school. A cut girl feels intense pain during sexual penetration, which the Sabiny believe prevents adultery.
Women reported that peer pressure and social acceptability, rather traditional beliefs linked to fidelity to partners and control over women's sexual urges, are the main drivers for the continuation of FGM. In the Sabiny tribe, only cut women can hold certain jobs and enjoy privileges such as attending feasts, collecting water or having an honorable burial
Hence, uncircumcised married women gradually decide to undergo FGM at an older age to be able to join male circumcision rituals. Sabiny cutters ask for 20,000 Ugandan shillings (about 5 euros) per girl. One season’s earnings can provide two years of financial support for a cutter, who enjoys respect from the tribe.
FGM AND LAW
In 2010, FGM was made illegal with the passing of the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Act. This act criminalizes those who mutilate or attempt to mutilate girls or women and those who seek to undergo FGM. Offenders are liable to a minimum of 10 years in jail.
This however has caused the practice to go under ground, because the community still believes it to be a necessary rite of passage for young girls. Now, FGM is often performed in a rush, in unsafe and unsanitary conditions, thereby increasing the health risks. Girls travel in small groups to a remote area where they get cut and sometimes, they may seek treatment at health facilities later.
https://borgenproject.org/female-genital-mutilation-in-uganda/