Rappler
December 5, 2016
Why the cutting of a woman's clitoris is so
prevalent in Indonesia
Female genital mutilations is a widespread
practice in the 4th most populous nation in the world. Here's why.
by Ayunda Nurvitasari
The perception that females must be circumcised like
males, as well as religious belief, social pressure, and encouragement
from health workers are behind the rampant practice of female genital
mutilation (FGM) in Indonesia, a new research reveals.
["like males" takes male cutting
for granted, but many of the same arguments deployed here can equally
well be used against it.]
Conducted by Hivos Southeast Asia, an organization that
focuses on global development, and the Center for Gender and Sexuality
Study at the University of Indonesia, the research found that among
mothers who have had FGM procedure done to their daughters,
97.1%
believe circumcision is a must for both male and female.
About the same
percentage of the respondents also said that they believe the practice
has a strong religious justification, and that they did it because it
is considered a cultural tradition practiced by most of the people they
know.
The study, which was unveiled last week, found that up
to 61% of girls underwent female genital mutilation (FGM) before they
turned one year old. It also identified a predominant perception that
uncircumcised girls will be alienated because they are
considered
filthy and will grow up promiscuous and unwanted.
The report was based on in-depth interviews, literary
reviews, focus group discussions and surveys conducted in Medan, North
Sumatera; Sumenep, East Java; Ketapang, West Kalimantan; Bima, West
Nusa Tenggara; Polewali Mandar, West Sulawesi; Gorontalo; and Ambon,
Maluku. Held in January 2015 to April 2015, the study involves 700
respondents, half of whom are mothers who had the FGM procedure done to
their daughters. The remaining half did not opt for the procedure.
Insufficient knowledge
The WHO (World Health Organization) determines female
genital mutilation (known as “sunat perempuan” in Indonesia) as a very
dangerous practice because it can cause severe bleeding, urinating
problems, infections and many other complications, while giving no
health benefits at all.
The
practice is considered a violation of
human’s rights to girls and women.
However, the study recorded that up to 90% of Indonesian
mothers believe that FGM will make their daughters
healthier. A total
of 84.6% also believe female genital mutilation can make their
daughters’ vagina
cleaner,
55.4% believe it will enhance their
daughters’ fertility, and 54.6% believe it will control their
daughters’ sexual drive.
In addition to false assumptions regarding the health
impacts of FGM, the respondents practice FGM due to religious beliefs
and
social pressure.
Up to 88% of the respondents believe that not
circumcising their daughters would make them sinners, and as much as
36% believe that FGM will make it easier for their daughters to find a
husband.
Based on their educational backgrounds, the highest
number of mothers who circumcised their daughters are high school
graduates at 32.3%, followed by elementary school graduates at 26.6%,
and junior high school graduates at 23.7%. At least 9.4% of mothers who
practice FGM have a bachelor’s degree.
Dangerous procedure
Half of the mothers who have their daughters circumcised
believe the procedure involves injuring the tip of the clitoris. About
36.6% sees it as cutting a small part of clitoris, 9.1% believes it
involves wiping the clitoris with antiseptic, and 1.1% sees FGM as the
piercing or scraping of vagina.
The WHO categorizes FGM into 4 types, two of which are
commonly practiced in Indonesia.
One of the common practice in Indonesia is
clitoridectomy, which is the partial or total removal of the clitoris
or the fold skin surrounding the clitoris (the prepuce). In Indonesia,
this can be found in Bima, West Nusa Tenggara, where the procedure
involves cutting the tip of the clitoris that they called “isi noi.” In
other areas in the country, such as Ambon, the same procedure entails
a
partial removal in the size of “biji padi” (a grain of rice).
The most common form of FGM in Indonesia, which was
found in 6 out of 7 areas surveyed, is what the WHO categorizes as type
4. It involves injuring the vagina
until
it bleeds a little, scraping
the clitoris
until it shows blood
on the surface, or pinching the clit
with small knife to extract the white “haram” part – a practice called
“cubit kodo”.
Other than these two, female circumcision in Indonesia
is merely a “symbolic” practice that does not involve cutting the
vagina – practices like
wiping the
clitoris with cotton and dab the
cotton with antiseptic to symbolize blood, a practice that
is common in
West Kalimantan and East Java. In Gorontalo the procedure involves
touching the clitoris with a small knife; in some areas, there is even
no touching of the genital
involved.
More than half of the FGM procedures is conducted by
dukun bayi (baby shaman) and a quarter is done by dukun sunat
(circumcision shaman), while 17 percent of midwives and 0.9 percent of
doctors conducted the procedure, the study shows.
The danger lies in the fact that the tools used for the
procedures are not always hygienic.
Knives, razors
Dr. Johanna Debora Imelda, a member of the research team
at the Center for Gender and Sexuality Study UI, listed some of the
tools used in the procedures, from small knives, razor blades to
eyebrow scissors.
“The small knife being used is usually considered
sacred, so it is not washed for years, often ending up rusty,” she said
during the launch of the report.
In the report a girl from Bima testified about her
experience: “I was 6 years old and I felt so afraid that I cried. I
didn’t have the courage to look at it. It bled for two days, so I was
treated with traditional medicine. Then I was told to bathe in the sea.
After the circumcision it felt painful when I peed.”
She recalled her friends’ experiences: “One of my
friends was too afraid that she moved a lot during the process. She
bled a lot like a woman in childbirth. Another one was so afraid to
have it done after hearing of others’ experiences, so her parents
persuaded her by buying her gifts so she would agree to the procedure,”
the girl explained.
Social and cultural
Johanna says the practice of FGM is deeply embedded in
Indonesian culture, although female circumcision is not mentioned in
the Quran. The study found that society sees the practice as sacred and
that it is the parents’ responsibility to have their daughters
circumcised.
Support and pressure from family, neighbors, religious
figures and health practitioners contribute to a mother’s decision to
circumcise their daughters.
Often women’s values lay on whether or not she is
circumcised. There will be social sanctions to anyone who goes against
the practice. The report describes how different societies practice
this.
In Poliwali Mandar and Sumenep, for instance, women who
are not circumcised are labeled promiscuous and believed to have high
sexual drive. They also believe that women who are not circumcised run
the risk of turning into sex workers. In Ambon, uncircumcised women are
not allowed to enter the mosque, pray or read the Quran. In Bima no man
would want to marry an uncircumcised woman.
Riri Khariroh, a commissioner at the National Commission
on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan), said during the report
launch that
eliminating the
practice of FGM in Indonesia will require
redefining the term to shed its association with religion.
[They want to
"eliminate the practice" even though some versions do not involve
touching the genitals....]
“We should change the term ‘sunat perempuan’ (female
circumcision) because ‘sunat’ has a strong association and attachment
to religiosity and is therefore difficult to eliminate. We should start
using the term ‘pelukaan genitalia perempuan’ (female genital
mutilation) instead,” she said. – Rappler.com
