FEMALE GENITAL MUTULATION
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) has been banned and criminalized in Egypt since 2008, yet parents never stopped forcing their daughters to go through the procedure. Many young girls have lost their lives as a result. Some death has been reported to the police. But the punishment never exceeded a slap on the hand.
Suhair Bataa, a13 years old girl, died last year as a result of a botched FGM operation. It was the first time anyone in Egypt faced justice for widely practiced form of gender discrimination violence.
Officials said it was Egypt s first criminal conviction for the practice of female genital mutilation, and related to the death of a 13-year-old girl.
This is true. But the power of culture over law is strong. Two weeks ago there was another case of FGM and the girl died. Her father is a surgeon and her mother is a nurse. So education doesn’t have any weight when it comes to FGM or any issue concerning women. Culture weighs heavier. It will take our society 2 to 3 generations to change if ever possible.