No More Western Jazz As Over 200 Vaginas Lose Clitorises In Sebei

No More Western Jazz As Over 200 Vaginas Lose Clitorises In Sebei

Over 200 girls have been circumcised in Sebei this year through the infamous Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), according to Mary Busingye Karooro Okurut, Minister in charge of General Duties in the Office of the Prime Minister.

The former security minister revealed this shocking revelation during the launch of her thrilling book titled “The Switch”

The book was launched was Speaker Rebecca Kadaga in company of other ministers such as Beti Kamya (KCCA) and David Bahati (Finance) and other MPs.

The Switch tells a depressing tale of a one sabiny woman-Chelimo who is attracted to the warm arms of a charming mukiga man for marriage.

However, Chelimo has a big disheartening secret that she keeps away from her hubby that later on threatened their blossoming marriage.

Chelimo later reveals to her hubby that her genitals were mutilated at childhood an issue that left her with unbearable pain during sex, labour, menstrual periods and left her vulnerable to diseases like fistula and unending UTIs.

She however fights the odds and joins politics where she used her position as a politician to advocate for genital mutilation-free society.

Karooro’s book aims at fighting the female genital mutilation through creating public awareness. The vice has remained rampant in the country especially in the districts of Amudat and Kapchorwa.

During the launch, Minister Karooro Okurut revealed that whereas the law against FGM is in place, some conservatists are clandestinely circumcising girls even in health facilities.

“The knife that the native refer to us ‘rwotowet’ should be used to serve its purposes and not to mutilate our girls. I am told that over 200 girls were circumcised in Sebei region since this year began,” Karooro Okurut said.

Joachim Buwembo, a veteran journalist revealed that FGM is not only done in particular seasons, but can also be done in government hospitals or other health facilities.

“Just like we are fighting terrorism, we need to look out for FGM acts in all corners. I am personally suspicious of health facilities in Nakawa Division,” Buwembo said.

UNFPA country representative, Dr Eric Akinyele Dairo whose organsiation financially supported Okurut’s works pledged to support Uganda Women’s Writers Association (FEMWRITE) to publish more books to change the mindset of communities against social immorality.

“The magnitude of FGM vice is worldwide. You can imagine more than 200m girls and women have gone through this pain in almost 30 countries in Africa, Middle East and Asia.

An estimated 86m young girls worldwide are likely to experience some form of the practice by 2030, if current trend continues,” Dr Akinyele said.

“Whereas Uganda national prevalence is at 1.4%, this prevalence is much higher in practicing communities in the districts of Kapchorwa, Kween, Bukwo, Nakapiririt, Moroto and Amudat, ranging between 50 and 95%.”

He revealed FGM is not only being done on grown-up women but also on newly born babies which exposes them to infections, over bleeding and eventually death.

“I want to change the switch from this book to the switch in my heart. We must switch from pain to joy, from hardship to liberty and from rejection to dignity,” he added.

In her speech, Speaker Kadaga heaped praises on Karooro for her efforts to fight FGM and other anti-social behaviours through publications.

“I can assure you that I personally and fellow MPs are more than willing to back you on this effort. I will buy 150 copies of this book and supply them to schools in Amudat and Kapchorwa so that men who are the pressure groups can reverse their opinion on FGM,” Kadaga said.

Kadaga further revealed the devastating effects of female genital mutilation, adding that some women are circumcised unknowingly while in hospital.

“It is not only babies that are circumcised, but even the mothers who have rejected the practice. I am told that during labour, these conservative midwives circumcise the mother without her notice during the time of birth. So a mother will think she is healing from labour pains when she has actually been mutilated,” Kadaga said.

She added, “I am also told that when a circumcised woman reaches the age of 40, sex becomes impossible because it is very painful.”

Karooro pledged to use the money from this publication to create awareness against FGM and also support mothers who have gone through this knife. She thanked her late husband Stanislaus Okurut for not ‘switching her off’ while she would wake up at 3am to write this book.

“I finished this book a little longer before my husband who supported me dearly died. Unlike other African men who would have scorned me for waking up at 3am saying I am now married to my books, SK (like I used to call him) did not switch me off,” Okurut said.

She cracked revelers when she revealed that her children recently gave her a birthday surprise when they told her to marry again.

“You see these stubborn girls of mine who also supported me were telling me to marry again and this spilled in the media, but I am not ready for that,” she added.

Karooro has written several other fascinating books among others include; The official Wife, The Curse of the Sacred Cow and The Man Who Ate His Eye.

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