NERMİN TARIQ

 Cairo - Female genital mutilation (FGM) is still practicing in Egypt even if it is forbidden. Many campaigns have been launched to stop it but no one pays attention to the psychological and physical suffering of girls after being genitally mutilated. A group of doctors have founded a center in the country to provide health support to the victims.

Our New Agency met the founders of the Middle East’s first center providing health support to FGM victims. Dr. Reham Awad is a plastic surgeon specialist and Dr. Amro Saif Al-Din is a consultant in obstetrics and gynecology. These two doctors told us about the works of the center.

 “We founded the center to provide health support to FGM victims because they may need health support if FGM causes severe bleeding. And we also provide psychologically support for the victims along with   the psychologists working for the center,” said Dr. Reham Awad.

Dr. Reham Awad said they founded the center in June 2020 because there were no centers or clinics providing health support to the victims although the state has been trying to prevent and eliminate the FGM, a complex phenomenon.

“The center provides health support to victims from Cairo, Alexandria and all cities of Egypt. 86% of Egyptian women have been subjected to FGM. We also accept victims from Sudan, Algeria, and some African countries as well,” said Reham Awad.

Dr. Reham emphasized that the practices of the FGM are decreasing but still exist, “we need support from the Ministry of Education, the mosques, and churches to raise awareness against these practices.”

Dr. Amro Seif Al-Din also talked about FGM and he said, “The girls suffer from genital mutilation. The FGM also causes various emotional disturbances, forging the way to psychiatric disorders. And it causes severe pain that girls never forget. When they get married they refuse to have intercourse with their husbands. So they also need psychological supports.”

Dr. Amro also said “The center has also provided psychological support to victims. We have accepted the victims from Kenya, Uganda, and some African countries. Female genital mutilation has existed in Egyptian culture for 3000 years. Parents don’t want to harm their daughters but if their daughters are not genitally mutilated, it is a shame for the families in Egyptian culture.”