More than nine hundred and ten villages from twelve rural communities in southeastern Senegal converged on Tambacounda Sunday morning declaring an end to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as well as early and forced traditional marriages.
By Alpha Jallow in Tambacounda, Southern Senegal
Over 4000 demonstrators want an end to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
This is probably the biggest mobilization campaigns against these primitive and often violent cultural practices organized by Tostan, an American Non-Governmental Organization fighting to eradicate violent practices against women in partnership with the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund-UNICEF.
In the last couple of years, Tostan and UNICEF through the help of local communities have increased the awareness of locals in southeastern Senegal of the dangers of FGM, as well as early and forced traditional marriages.
The venue of this big event seem to be quite fitting because Tambacounda is one of Senegal's vast regions where such practices are still prevalent The ceremony started with a big procession of more than four thousand people mainly middle-aged women and young girls singing Mandinka songs denouncing Female Genital Mutilation, early and forced marriages.
At the main soccer stadium in Tambacounda where the ceremony was acted out, speaker upon speaker spoke about the health related problems of such ancient and traditional practices.
The country Director of Tostan Madame Molly Moulching Diagne said the main objective of the Tambacounda Declaration was to raise awareness about the lethality and consequent dangers associated with FGM. She said Tostan and UNICEF would continue fighting together until such practices are completely eradicated in the sub-region.
Isatou Bojang a native of Neteboulou in the region of Tambacounda and a victim of FGM told The Gambia Echo that her daughters would never be circumcised. "Until at this age, the mother of two boys and two girls reveals, whenever I am in labour, I think that day will be the end of the world”, she lamented with tears rolling down her cheeks. This is a backward and retrogressive cultural practice that should be banned forever Madam Bojang proposed.
The ceremony at the stadium was quite colourful as most of the traditional musicians and griots demonstrated their musical talents to the enthusiastic crowd of onlookers
The ceremony was also punctuated by drama plays highlighting the dangers of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as well as early and forced marriages. For now though, what many are asking is when will neighboring Gambia a nation with several incidents associated with FGM, early and forced traditional marriages follow the Tambacounda Declaration.