Talk about it! Empowerment and Female Genital Mutilation_Cutting

22 Almaz is 60 years old, she was born in Asmara/ Eritrea. She now lives in Bochum and is mother of five children. “I was raised in Eritrea where I went to a catholic boarding school. When I turned thirteen, me and other girls joined the revolution. During this time bad things happened in Eritrea. At the age of seventeen I lived and fought in the jungle. I was a child soldier until 1991, when the Eritrean War of Independence ended. I was wounded three times and missed out on many things in live. However, I also learned a lot about politics and being a woman. There were conferences on women where we discussed how women can be satisfied with themselves. Many women were highly educated and taught us knowledge of the body, about sex and why circumcision is dangerous. They also told us what can happen to a woman that underwent FGM_C when giving birth. I have been to many villages and got into contact with different cultures and religions, that is why respect for others is very important to me. When I was born, sixty years ago, almost every girl in Eritrea had to undergo circumcision during their first month of live. Since 1991, after the revolution, it is prohibited in Eritrea. We fought hard for women’s rights and for being in control of our own bodies. Girls had to undergo FGM_C so that they did not sneak out with a boy to have sex, they should not feel the desire to have sex at all. They should be circumcised to get married. Religion did not play a role in this. Even though it is prohibited now, there are still families that circumcise their daughters in secrecy. Until today it is not usual to talk to one’s mother about it and ask why they did it. I do not have any memories of my own circumcision. My family wanted me to circumcise my daughter and son, but I said NO! I did not do what they wanted and let not undergo any of my daughters FGM_C. I want to do things better for my children. Almaz’s Story