Week 12

So, this is the last week! This week we've finished editing and putting our podcasts into a particular order before posting them on our site.
Romy found an interesting article on taking away the importance of virginity in Egypt which she found on newsvine (which helped us a lot throughout this semester). Check that out and see what you think, we'd really like to hear what you have to say.
Overall, we've found it really interesting investigating FGM. We've found the laws that are being put in place, particularly in Egypt and Uganda, to protect women's rights and moving forward to abolish FGM.
We've had an interesting semester learning in more detail the issues surrounding FGM, particularly in Africa, and I think we've become much more aware of how lucky we are living somewhere like Australia.

taking away the importance of virginity

Newsvine article-Egypt- take away the importance of virginity

This article attempts to take away the importance of innocence and virginity.
It also attemts to reach to the Egyptian people to realize people are still people even if they have had sex before marriage, whether outside of wedlock or not.

The main reason FGM is considered such a good thing for girls to have, is because in almost all scenarios a woman must be untouched and pure before marriage.
Otherwise she is seen to be unworthy of a man.

New in law in Egypt now the Child Law wants to improve the lot of Egyptian children by regulating marital age, issuing birth certificates for children of unwed mothers, restricting corporal punishment, and reinforcing the ban on FGM.

One step further towards the abolishment.
Egyptian educators now need to take a step further. Once we transcend these ancient taboos on sex, then perhaps we can take another step on the ladder of evolved thinking.

Week 11

So this week, we've been organising our podcasts in G-Cast.
We want them to be in chronological order.
We also did a concluding podcast thanking our readers and listeners and everyone involved. This weeks blog is about Ugandan women not ending FGM because they see it as a ay of income, so have a read of it, its quite interesting.
Other than that Daisy's interviewing her mum and e're loading that up sometime this week, so e have our 5 podcasts and then next wk we'll do our final progress report and blog post.

Week 10

This week Romy interviewed a family who worked with victims in Kenya. Definitely listen to it, they have some very interesting things to say.
This week we're just getting our last few interviews organised before the christmas break. I've got an interview to do with my mum, who visited a hospital that specialises in fistula patients in Ethiopia.

Obstetric fistula is a hole in the birth canal caused by prolonged labour without prompt medical intervention. The woman is left with chronic incontinence and, in most cases, a stillborn baby.

The smell of leaking urine or faeces, or both, is constant and humiliating, often leaving women ostracised from their communities. Left untreated, fistula can lead to chronic medical problems, including ulcerations, kidney disease, and nerve damage in the legs.

For more information on fistula patients and prevalance rates, see http://www.endfistula.org/fistula_brief.htm?gclid=CIeRmaiYhZgCFQZ8TAodW2kFDQ. It just further emphasises the lack of education and health in Africa, particularly for women

Other than that, we've posted a few articles that talk about some interesting things. Have a look, and leave some comments!

Ugandan women won't stop their source of income.

UGANDA: 'Surgeons' Want Compensation Before They Lay Down Their Knives

This article shocked me so much.
In short, it is about old Ugandan women who will not stop cutting, because it is a form of income for them, besides the fact that FGM is against the law.

A sentence of 10 years is the new proposed law for anyone involved in the act.
Though this law is really great and working hard towards the abolishment of FGM,
elderly women in their 60's highly depend on the money they get from each family to survive. They are stuck in old barbaric ays and don't understand why it is a bad thing. The Government should also propse new jobs and pensions for these women.

...If the law can ever help.

newsvine article on the criminaling of FGM in uganda