Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), a deeply ingrained cultural practice in some African communities, continues to be a controversial and painful subject. Though widely condemned by international health and human rights organizations, FGM persists in many areas due to cultural, social, and even religious beliefs. In recent years, contemporary African literature has become a powerful platform for addressing this issue, highlighting its impact on women’s lives and advocating for change. African writers, through their novels, short stories, essays, and poetry, have painted vivid and often heart-wrenching depictions of FGM, challenging readers to confront the harsh realities of this practice.
Challenging Tradition Through Literature
In many African societies, FGM is justified as a rite of passage, a marker of womanhood, or a way to control female sexuality. However, literature has served as an effective counter to such traditional narratives, offering intimate insights into the emotional, physical, and psychological toll the practice takes on girls and women.
One of the most famous examples of this is Warrior Marks (1993), a collaborative work by Alice Walker and filmmaker Pratibha Parmar. Although Walker is African-American, her investigative work on FGM in Africa has influenced African writers to engage with the subject. Walker explores the stories of women who have undergone FGM and exposes the pain, both physical and emotional, that follows these women for life. This book ignited global conversations about the persistence of harmful practices under the guise of tradition and inspired African writers to tackle this taboo topic in their works.
Nawal El Saadawi: A Pioneer in African Feminist Literature
Nawal El Saadawi, a prominent Egyptian writer, is often regarded as a pioneer in discussing FGM within African literature. In her groundbreaking novel Woman at Point Zero (1975), El Saadawi confronts the dehumanizing effects of patriarchal traditions, including FGM. The novel’s protagonist, Firdaus, undergoes circumcision as a child, an experience that leaves her emotionally scarred and physically traumatized. Through Firdaus’s story, El Saadawi illustrates how FGM serves to control women’s bodies, reduce their autonomy, and keep them subservient to male-dominated structures.
El Saadawi’s work, based on her experiences as a medical doctor and activist in Egypt, not only condemns FGM but also opens a wider discussion about the intersection of gender, class, and power. Her depiction of FGM in Woman at Point Zero echoes the experiences of many African women and girls, offering readers a visceral understanding of the cruelty and violation of human rights inherent in the practice.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Exploring FGM Through Cultural Lenses
Though FGM is not central to the works of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, her writings on gender and African culture have inspired many to engage in the conversation surrounding FGM. In her novel Half of a Yellow Sun and her essay We Should All Be Feminists, Adichie emphasizes the importance of questioning cultural practices that oppress women and undermine their agency.
While Adichie’s works may not directly explore FGM, they resonate with themes of bodily autonomy and the need for cultural practices to evolve. Adichie’s perspective is crucial in the literary conversation surrounding FGM because it underscores the broader feminist movement in Africa—one that advocates for women’s rights to make decisions about their own bodies, including resisting FGM.
Mariama Bâ: Depicting the Legacy of Harmful Traditions
Mariama Bâ, a Senegalese writer, is another notable author who engages with themes related to FGM, particularly in her novel So Long a Letter (1981). Though FGM is not the primary focus of this epistolary novel, Bâ critiques patriarchal traditions that control and harm women’s bodies and minds. She portrays how cultural practices like polygamy and female submission are used to justify the oppression of women, similar to how FGM is justified in many communities.
Bâ’s exploration of cultural traditions serves as a broader critique of practices that harm women. Her characters, like Ramatoulaye, reflect on the limitations imposed by patriarchal society and the need for African women to reclaim their agency. In this sense, Bâ’s work aligns with the critique of FGM and other harmful traditions in contemporary African literature.
Kenyan Writers and FGM: Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o and Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor
In Kenya, where FGM is still practiced in some rural areas, writers like Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o and Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor have contributed to the conversation on the subject. Ngũgĩ, a literary giant, addresses the implications of harmful cultural practices in his novel The River Between (1965). While the novel is primarily about colonialism, it also addresses the tension between tradition and change. Ngũgĩ illustrates the painful internal conflict faced by women who are forced to choose between their cultural identity and their personal well-being.
More recently, Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, in her novel Dust (2013), examines Kenya’s cultural and political landscape, subtly incorporating discussions of gender inequality and harmful practices like FGM. Owuor’s work offers a complex portrayal of the female experience in postcolonial Kenya, showing how traditional practices like FGM still play a role in defining womanhood, even in modern contexts.
The Power of Testimony: Personal Narratives and Memoirs
In addition to fiction, memoirs and personal narratives have emerged as powerful literary tools for discussing FGM. One notable example is Desert Flower (1997) by Waris Dirie, a Somali model and activist who survived FGM as a young girl. Her memoir provides a raw, personal account of the physical pain and lifelong trauma caused by FGM, while also highlighting her journey toward activism and empowerment.
Desert Flower gave a global platform to the voices of women who had been silenced by cultural taboos, providing readers with a first-hand perspective of the physical and emotional scars of FGM. Memoirs like Dirie’s have been instrumental in humanizing the issue, moving it beyond statistics and showing the real impact on individual lives.
The Role of Poetry in Addressing FGM
Poetry has been an important medium for African writers to address FGM. Soyinka Ilola, a Nigerian poet, has used her work to confront the emotional toll of FGM on young girls. In poems such as The Scar of Womanhood, Ilola paints a vivid and poignant picture of a girl undergoing circumcision, focusing on the betrayal she feels from those who should be protecting her. Ilola’s poems, often raw and direct, resonate with readers on an emotional level, making the abstract horrors of FGM deeply personal.
Poetry has the unique ability to distill complex emotions and experiences into powerful, concise language. African poets addressing FGM have used their words to express pain, resistance, and the hope for change, contributing to a literary movement against the practice.
