65% ignorant of what has been cut: Khatna survey

On the occasion of International Zero Tolerance Day for Female Genital Cutting, non-profit group Sahiyo released the findings of its six-month online research among Dawoodi Bohra Women. The group, which works to create awareness and curb khatna, the form of female genital cutting practised among the Bohra community, gathered data from 385 women from the community spread across the world.

The report revealed that a shocking 74 per cent of the women who participated had been cut by a traditional cutter who had no medical qualifications. Another 65 per cent of the participants did not know which part of their genital anatomy had been cut, due to unawareness about their physiology.

Type differentiation

Female Genital Cutting (FGC) is recognised as a form of violence against women and children worldwide. Khatna entails that only a part or all of the clitoral hood is removed, which falls under Type 1 FGC and recognised as the mildest form. In some cases, the survey found that Type 2 FGC (partial or total removal of the clitoris and/or prepuce; and/or removal of labia minora with or without excision of the labia majora) had also been performed.

While the root of the practise has been to curb sexual enjoyment of the women, 56 per cent of women surveyed said it was done for religious purposes (without any explanation as to why). Only 45 per cent knew it had been done to control sexuality; 27 per cent thought it had been done for hygiene purposes.

Masooma Ranalvi (R) presents petition to NCW chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam in Delhi

Petition goes to NCW

In a supporting move, Masooma Ranalvi, founder of Speak Out On FGM (another group working towards ending khatna), approached the Chairperson of the National Commission of Women (NCW), Lalitha Kumaramangalam, on Monday to present a letter that throws light on human rights violation of women in the Bohra community. The women's group started a signature campaign to end khatna in December 2015, and the petition garnered more than 80,000 signatures, which was also presented to Kumaramangalam.

"The NCW supports the petition to put an end to FGM," says Kumaramangalam. "This is an infringement of human rights. Just because something is a societal norm does not make it right. These are manifestations of different patriarchal norms and I think FGM has very little to do with the religion and more to do with patriarchy."

Both groups are pushing for a ban on the practise, and want it to be declared a punishable offence by law.