FEMALE CIRCUMCISION ON THE RISE

Despite the pain inflicted upon girls to have their genitalia partially or totally removed, when they are women they insist their daughters undergo this dangerous and excruciating procedure. Their belief is that it ensures their daughters to be marriageable. Marriage, they believe is the only future for their daughters. The girls are pinned down, with the mother as witness, surrounded by women as the razor blade takes their innocence under agonizing pain. A man will not marry a woman who is not circumcised.

"It's not because the law is passed that people will follow suit and report every case or stop seeking the service," says one woman, "the tradition is imbedded into society." Ishmael, a father of 5 daughters has three circumcised and following this law being passed, does not know what to do with the younger two girls who have not undergone the procedure. But their mother, Talfeka, is adamant, "they must be cleansed or it will bring shame to our entire family."

74% of teenage girls are circumcised, an estimated 140 million globally, with Egypt being the highest percentage.

They believe non circumcision would bring shame to their family if their daughters are not circumcised, as that circumcision insures purity of the girl, hence the desirablilty for them to be married.

Egypt has just passed a new law making this practice illegal, but the practice continues. Christian Fraser reports this from El Minya, south of Cairo that only four people have been prosecuted despite the passing of this law.

Men view it as a requirement for marriage. Last June this practice has been banished, punishable by a prison term, but in the summer, many girls, some as young as seven, are taken to be 'cleansed'. They have the legislation to stop it, but it is believed to be against their Muslim faith. UNICEF criticizes the doctors, who carry out 8 out of 10 of these procedures. The doctors are more wary, but their service is sought by many, as this cleansing is viewed as imperative for their daughters to marry, and if they cannot marry, it brings shame to not only the girl, but the entire family.