On Female Circumcision (FGM) in Kenya/Tanzania

As you may know, the project in which I was participating in Kenya was supposed to have had a focus on Female Genital Mutilation (called female circumcision in Kenya) and early marriage, i.e. the cultural practice wherein girls are married at very young ages to older men. As it turned out, the project had nothing to do with those practices. More on that later.

The area in which I was working is called Kuria, after the people who populate it. Kenya has dozens of different tribal identities, and Kuria people are found in the southwest of the country, in an area that spans the border with Tanzania. About 2/3 of Kuria people live in Tanzania, and about 1/3 live in Kenya. Although some Kenyan tribes don't practice female circumcision, among the Kuria it is a very strongly held cultural tradition. In that area of the country, the prevalence rate is believed to be over 90%. The good news is that the tradition seems to be slowly waning, and is not as common or accepted among the younger generation. I met many women who said that the practice stops with them; that they will not subject their daughters to it, although they themselves were circumcised. It is very easy to criticize the practice of FGM, especially if you do not understand the cultural context, and hard to understand how difficult it is for women and girls in these communities who counter tradition. Women and girls who resist FGM face enormous pressure and censure from their families and their communities. They may be shunned, or become victims of violence or other human rights abuses. Here is an ARTICLE about the cultural forces at work among the Kuria (here spelled Kurya) people in Tanzania, and how some women are resisting FGM, forced marriage, and other cultural traditions that violate their rights and their endanger their health.

In related news, the Ugandan Parliament officially OUTLAWED FGM on December 15th of this year. Mind you, FGM is illegal in many countries, including Kenya, yet still widely practiced. But having a law on the books, and stiff penalties, is of course an important step.

(links to articles are in caps)

I'm Back! Article in NY Times re Menopause and Drugs

I got back from Kenya last week and I'm happy to say that things went very smoothly. And I didn't get sick! The project turned out to be rather different than I had anticipated, but I had been told by people who had done development work in Africa that I should not have fixed expectations, and this advice served me well.  As I anticipated, there wasn't much internet access, so I was unable to post from there. I do of course want to tell you about the trip, and I will, but I haven't even uploaded photos to my computer yet. In fact I haven't finished unpacking yet! I just wanted to check in, and also draw your attention to an article in the New York times regarding the pharmaceutical "treatment" of menopause.

I'm not sure what prompted this article, as it's not linked to a specific topical event. Rather, it presents an overview of the pharmaceutical industry's cashing in on menopause, and how recently the tide has turned against the drug companies as women are winning big suits for damages caused by these drugs. Of course no amount of damages will bring back the tens of thousands of women who have died from endometrial and breast cancer as a result of these drugs, but it's good to see that the judicial system is holding the drug companies accountable. Ultimately, they will only listen to their bottom line. If women stop buying the drugs, and if the lawsuits make these drugs unprofitable, they will turn their attention elsewhere, and find some other condition to pathologize and exploit.

Like premature ejaculation. (The illustration alone is worth clicking on the link.) Good lord! I love the quote from Lenore Tiefer, my colleague from The New View Campaign: “Rapid ejaculation as opposed to slow ejaculation is common, but there is slow and fast everything in the world: slow and fast walkers, slow and fast eaters, slow and fast breathers,” said Dr. Tiefer, who is a psychologist specializing in sexual problems. “When you tell someone they are a fast ejaculator, it makes it sound like there is a right time to ejaculate and, if you ejaculate before, it’s a medical problem.”

Why You Won't Be Hearing From Me For A While

I think most of the people who read this blog already know this, but for those of you who don't: I am super happy and excited to say that I will be soon be going to Kenya, to participate in a volunteer project. The project is being administered by the Kenya Voluntary Development Association, and the organization with which I signed up is called Volunteers for Peace. The project for which I originally signed up had a focus on "harmful cultural practices" affecting women, i.e. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and early marriage. My project was merged with another one, and now the focus is broader, and includes work around HIV/AIDS, and work with children, as well as tree planting and brick making. There should be around 20 volunteers, from 6 different countries including Kenya. Conditions are going to be, well, basic. We need to bring our own eating utensils, sleeping bag, mosquito net, etc, and we will be cooking for each other. The project itself will last 3 weeks, and I plan to stay in Kenya for another week or so after that.

Since I will be away and without much internet access, and since there is a tremendous amount of preparation involved in a trip like this, I am currently on hiatus. I plan to be back to work on Monday, December 7th. (For details re whom to contact during my absence, see below.)

The organizers asked us to bring materials related to the project. Among other things, I will be bringing a few copies of Katie Singer's book(let), Honoring Our Cycles in Africa. From Katie's website: "The book describes what happens during a healthy menstrual cycle, how the traditional practice of Female Genital Cutting affects a woman's reproductive health, and what happens in the male reproductive system." It's a wonderful, simple book, and I only wish that I could bring more copies with me.

I will also be bringing a copy of a film that will soon be having its premiere in the US. It's called Africa Rising, and it focuses on the movement to end FGM in Africa, and the brave women (and men) leading the fight. Although headway is definitely being made, approximately 6000 girls still undergo FGM everyday, primarily in Africa. The people behind the film (see below) very generously sent me a copy. Despite the sadness of the topic, it's a beautiful, inspiring film. I hope you'll be able to see it when it opens in the US. See the website for screenings.

Still from Africa Rising

Africa Rising is brought to you by the amazing people at Equality Now. Their website and newsletters are decidely unglamorous, but they are at the forefront of the movement to stop FGM and other forms of violence against women. I encourage you to support their efforts with your time and/or your dollars.

You may know, or you may not, given the dearth of media coverage, that Kenya has been devastated by drought in recent months, and years. Semi-annual rains have just begun to fall, so I hope that, by the time I go, the situation will have been somewhat ameliorated. But that's not guaranteed, and regardless of how much rain comes, the impact of the last few years will be long-lasting, especially among nomadic communities. I don't know how the drought will affect my trip.

For most of my time away, I anticipate having very little internet access. (The community that I'm going to has no electricity.) So as of now until after my return, I am on hiatus. Two of my colleagues will be covering for me in my absence. Should you need assistance before I return, please get in touch with one of them:

Sarah Bly
graceofthemoon.com

(541) 821-2522

Lisa Leger

fertilityfairy at hotmail dot com

(250) 951-0243

Please note that both Sarah and Lisa are West Coast gals, on Pacific time. Lisa is in Canada and Sarah is in the US.

Thank you to those of you who have supported my trip with your donations of funds and goods. I look forward to sharing stories with you after I return.

Vulvagraphics

Hey everyone. Today we present an announcement from the folks at The New View Campaign regarding an upcoming event that looks like it'll be wonderful. Even if you're not in NYC, you can still participate in the Campaign. And join the International Vulva Knitting Circle!

VULVAGRAPHICS: An intervention in

honor of female genital diversity!

Recent years have seen increased concerns about genital appearance for women, alongside publicity about labiaplasty and other procedures to cosmetically alter female genital appearance. It seems that there is a general lack of knowledge of vulva diversity, meaning that:

· Many women don’t know whether their vulva looks ‘normal.’

· Some women compare their vulva to a perceived norm or ideal, and don’t like how theirs looks. This supposed ideal vulva is often depicted on the websites of surgeons who offer genital cosmetic procedures, in ‘after’ photos that appear alongside ‘before’ photos.

An upcoming Brooklyn event provides a challenge to this cultural shift, offering a very visual celebration of diversity. Vulvagraphics is the second (annual) activist event organised in NYC by New View Campaign in response to the rise and promotion of female genital cosmetic surgery.

The New View Campaign opposes the medicalisation and corporatisation of (female) sexuality. Past work challenged Big Pharma, but last year we turned to the rise of female genital cosmetic surgery and conducted a vigorous street protest, complete with street-theatre, outside a Manhattan surgeon’s office. It was covered in both BUST and TIME!. This year we celebrate the role of art in activism, with a multi-media show to promote understanding and appreciation of female genital diversity.

Vulvagraphics is a 2-day exhibit of explicit photography, drawing, print, craft, video, and film, including the premiere of the international vulva knitting circle! It features a brunch salon on ‘critical issues in genital activism,’ as well as numerous activism opportunities!

If this sounds like you, bring your intrigue, passion and creativity, not to mention your relatives, friends and partners, and come down to Vulvagraphics to learn about, and celebrate, vulval diversity. If this doesn’t sound like you, even more reason to head on down! We look forward to seeing you there!

WHERE: The Change You Want To See gallery at 84 Havemeyer St, Brooklyn

WHEN: Saturday October 24^th: 6-9pm (opening reception & exhibition);

Sunday October 25^th: 12-6pm (exhibition); 1-3pm (brunch salon).

Further information: see our website or email Rachel Liebert.

Another Awesome Blog

"re: Cycling is the new blog of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research. re: Cycling is written by members of SMCR about all matters menstrual, especially sociocultural aspects of menstruation and new research about menstruation and women’s health. Currently, the bloggers are Chris Bobel, Associate Professor of Women’s Studies at University of Massachusetts-Boston; Giovanna Chesler, filmmaker and Assistant Professor of Communication Arts at Marymount Manhattan College; Chris Hitchcock, researcher at the Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research at the University of British Columbia; and Elizabeth Kissling, Professor of Women’s Studies and of Communication at Eastern Washington University. The new blog can be found at MenstruationResearch.org/blog.

The blog was developed as a way for the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research to discuss issues related to menstruation with a wider audience. Most posts on the site are open to public comment. We welcome readers and links from other feminist blogs."

From the Society for Menstrual Research.

Ilene Doing Intro to FA in NYC - CANCELLED

And........ It looks like the event is going to happen, at least not this week in the form originally envisioned. The organizers have informed me that other NYC Spore events are taking place in subsequent months, but that they are having organizational problems with this one. Shame. 
.........................................
UPDATE: EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED DUE TO LACK OF APPROPRIATE VENUE. STAY TUNED!  PROBABLY GOING TO BE WED, 9/23, IN BROOKLYN. STILL AWAITING DETAILS AS OF 9/19. ARGH...
.......................................
I will be participating in an event called Evolver Spore on Wed, 9/16, starting at 7PM. If you are in NY, please come by. And bring someone new to FA!

Evolver is a social network for what their website describes as "conscious collaboration." Participants form groups and gather together for local events. I think a "spore" event is when people in many cities gather together on or around the same day to explore the same topic. The topic for September's Spore is "The Healing Journey."  "In this Spore, we’ll explore diverse alternative health methods and modalities, as well as how we can work together to implement healing in our own communities, and society at large."  I was invited to give a short (15 min) talk on Fertility Awareness, and to table. Come by and tell people how awesome FA is! And check out the other presenters.

Note: The website says that the event will be at Collective Hardware, on the Bowery, but I understand that these events are becoming very popular, so they are looking for a bigger venue. Make sure to check the site before you head over. I will also try to post here, if the location does change.

If You Like This Blog...

you'll probably like this one, too:
http://lifeafterbirthcontrol.blogspot.com/

Life After Birth Control chronicles the fascinating journey of Katie and Matt as Katie goes off the Pill, tries FA, becomes pregnant (fairly intentionally, though she misinterpreted her chart), struggles with a very difficult pregnancy, and as they now parent their daughter Eden. It's a very thoughtful blog, and full of detailed information on topics such as symphysis pubis pain (pelvic pain) and Hyperemesis gravidarum (extreme nausea during pregnancy). Katie and Matt are determined to live life as naturally as possible, so you'll also find entries on such things as Elimination Communication and cloth pads. The whole thing has the feel of positivity and practicality, without being sickeningly sweet.