My fight against cutting and HIV in Senegal

Sali was just nine years old when I met her during one of my awareness trips in northern Senegal.

But her young woman's body had already been scarred for life by cutting.

The sadness and anger that I glimpsed in her eyes reminded me why 25 years ago I committed myself to fight against female mutilations in my country.

Coming from a family that practices female circumcision, my fight to preserve the body and dignity of women has always seemed logical to me, despite the rejection and tirades it provokes.

“A fight from another era!” they shout at me from time to time, since the rapid development of our continent in recent years could make one think that these practices no longer exist.

Nearly 50 million girls are at risk of genital mutilation in Africa by 2030, according to Unicef

Nothing is further from reality.

Nearly 50 million girls are at risk of genital mutilation in Africa by 2030, according to UNICEF.

In my country, Senegal, close to two million girls and young women suffered these practices in 2019. The prevalence of these practices in young women under 15 years of age is 16%.

Barrier to HIV response

If these violations continue to persist, it is mainly due to inequalities between men and women in our communities, as well as superstitions and patriarchal values ​​that perpetuate fantasies about the female body.

In addition to being an extreme violation of her dignity and freedom, genital mutilations affect our mental and sexual health.

These abuses mainly increase women's vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections, such as HIV, which affects women between two and six times more than men in sub-Saharan Africa.

The use of the same surgical instrument without sterilization, as well as the increased risk of bleeding during sexual intercourse, double the risk of victims becoming infected with HIV.

Even the medicalized practice of genital mutilation carries a risk.

In many cases, the trauma and other psychological consequences of this violent practice undermine young women's confidence and their ability to demand that their partner use a condom.

The memory of the excruciating pain and shame of their forever scarred bodies prevent them from seeking testing or healthcare services for the milder genital conditions or infections.

bodily autonomy

For an effective response to HIV, it is urgent to give women and girls back control of their bodies, their lives and their futures.

How is it possible that today 93% of women in Senegal still do not have the freedom to make their own decisions regarding health, contraception or simply to choose when and how to have sex with their partner?

As long as these inequalities persist, genital mutilation continues, and women have no voice over their bodies and sexuality, the elimination of HIV will remain a utopia.

How is it possible that today 93% of women in Senegal still do not have the freedom to make their own decisions regarding health, contraception or simply to choose when and how to have sex with their partner?

Organizations such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria help women and girls advocate for their sexual and reproductive health rights.

It does so through empowerment and access to education programs, as well as initiatives to remove gender-related barriers that hold back access to health services.

In Senegal, hundreds of young women between the ages of 13 and 18 have thus been able to benefit from sexual health assistance thanks to the Voix Essentielles initiative, launched in July 2021 by Speak Up Africa with support from the Global Fund.

These adolescents exposed to sexual relations at an early age, often with adults, now feel stronger, better able to avoid risky sexual practices and to take charge of their health.

These programs for women and girls need to be supported and strengthened by governments, international agencies, business and civil society, and scaled up accordingly.

Only then can we fight effectively against gender violence and hope, finally, to end AIDS.

Fatimata SY

is Secretary General of the Senegalese Association for the Future of Women and Children (ASAFE) and beneficiary of the Voix Essentielles fund in Senegal.

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