OneWorld Dialogue with Molly Melching: 'Seeing Others as Equal to Us Is Crucial'
Molly Melching, Tostan, and the Women of Senegal: Before answering your questions at length, we at Tostan would like to thank everyone for such insightful and thoughtful questions and comments. It has been an inspiring process to be nominated for and win this award, and it is equally inspiring to be directly connected with so many people around the globe seeking to make our world a better place. Topics:
Girls' Rights vs. Cultural BeliefsJeff in Denver, Colorado, USA: Hi Molly, Such inspiring work—my congratulations to you and everyone you work with for the way you treat this issue—you seem to take an approach that's gentle and respectful, yet committed. How do you reconcile the human rights of the girls affected by FGC on one hand with the rights of families and communities to carry out their cultural beliefs on the other? Anonymous: when you say "families, communities" and "cultural beliefs," i think it's really important to take into account what these things actually mean in cultures that are constructed patriarchally and organized in large part around violence against women and children, whose voices are often silenced. the kind of cultural relativism that says that torture is okay if it's been practiced in a place for a long time is incredibly dangerous, and such rhetoric was often used to justify slavery and the denial of the rights of women, children, and other minorities who often have no say in designing the practices used against them and their bodies. Ann: FGM is a torturous painful process that kills some and leaves many to suffer for the rest of their lives. It is often performed with an unsterile unsophisticated object, like a piece of glass, and without anesthesia, on a child. That said, I appreciate your posting this, but was extremely disturbed by your email header: "Cultural Traditions vs. Girls' Rights—We Want to Hear from You!" Would you write: Regional Traditions vs. African American's Rights—We Want to Hear from You! about slavery? How about: Cultural Traditions vs. Prisoners Rights—We Want to Hear from You! about the torture in China? Why not: Free market vs. enslaved people's rights—We Want to Hear from You! about modern-day slavery? You get the picture. I appreciate these things can be written in haste, but your header seems to equate "Cultural Traditions" with "Girls rights" (in itself problematic as it suggests this on the level of girls vs. boys rights to a tree house, rather than basic human right to be free from death, torture, and disfigurement)—as if there were two morally equivalent sides to the story, and you want US to weigh in on them. Although this may be the legitimate approach of the workshops in villages where FGM is practiced in order to allow information to flow (and let people decide for themselves once it does)—to me, it's a disturbing format for discussion in the U.S. where we do have access to information and don't have this "cultural tradition." As a Kenyan woman once said of far less torturous discriminatory traditions: "If it's not good for women, it's not good for the culture." I think you could also say "If it's not good for children (girls), it's not good for the culture." Thanks for listening and again for forwarding the (content of) the email. Annie Middleton: I realize there is a conflict between respecting the human rights of girls and respecting the autonomy of indigenous peoples when addressing this issue. It appears that you have been successful in navigating this difficult passage. I believe women throughout the world applaud your success and encourage you in this work. We would also like to know how you do it. Molly Melching: Hi Jeff, thank you for your question; and thanks to Annie, Ann, and Anonymous for their comments. First, I think it is important to reiterate that while FGC abandonment is one result of our program, it is not the focus. Our three-year program covers democracy, human rights, problem-solving, hygiene, health, literacy, math, management, and income generation. We work with communities that do not practice FGC; and we work with communities that do practice FGC but do not immediately decide to abandon it. In the end our goal is to empower communities to use the skills and resources they already possess to lead their own development. Now, to answer your question, we at Tostan would say that human rights apply globally, but they are redefined and adapted to the local context. As such, it is not up to Tostan to reconcile human rights with traditions or beliefs—to us, only communities themselves can decide upon what is right for them and take steps toward building the kind of society they want to have. It is they who promote and defend human rights at the community level.
This may seem very idealistic and unreal, but remember that while the creation of human rights instruments was indeed a somewhat “western” phenomenon, the concepts contained in these instruments have existed in cultures in Africa and around the world for thousands upon thousands of years. It would certainly be mistaken to think that only since the 20th century have societies valued peace, prosperity, health, education, and equality! One way that cultures have traditionally sought to build trust and a sense of commonly shared beliefs is through tradition. In other words, traditions and values are not ends in themselves, but rather a means to an end—the end of promoting and protecting the community itself. For some reason, both in the above discussions and elsewhere, “culture” has come to mean something entirely negative. Sure, it is sometimes used to rationalize horrible behavior. But culture can and does have positive benefits. I think it is dangerous and wrong to write off an entire group of people based on a subset of their actions—no matter how justified we may feel in doing so. To take an example, many of the African communities I work with find it shocking and absolutely unconscionable that families in the US often put their grandparents in large retirement homes with total strangers, sometimes visiting them only once every few years. And unless we would be willing to write America off as a country of monsters who disrespect their elders, I think we must be willing to give others criticism in specific, honest ways rather than writing them off entirely. As Jeff so eloquently puts it, we must be gentle, respectful, and committed. Seeing others as equal to us even when we disagree with them (or find their actions shocking) is crucial because it affects any chance we might have of producing different results. If we picture entire cultures as “lost” or “wrong,” then we are essentially committing ourselves to a foregone conclusion of more of the same. However, if we try to understand others and see in them the potential to change, then we at least open the opportunity for that change to occur. This does NOT mean simply accepting or excusing whatever happens. Instead, what human rights offers us all is an ideal—a measuring stick against which to evaluate our current societies and practices, a common ground where we can discuss how to take steps to improve everyone’s lives at the expense of no one’s. Back to top FGC in EuropeAgnieszka B. Kudlik, Poland: Dear Molly! Thank you for all what you have done! And good luck in your present and future undertakings! The world needs people like you.
People in Poland, where I live, seem to be completely unaware of the problem, excluding scholars, feminists, and people who simply care what is going on around the world. It is due to the fact that Poland has never been a destination for immigrants but only a stop on the way to Western Europe. While I was researching the issue I contacted various authorities such as the Border Guards and the Office for Foreigners and to my disappointment they claimed that discussing such thing like FGM is irrelevant and that there are no accounts on it. Maybe it is not as prevalent as in the UK or in France, but I am sure that there are FGM practices conducted either in Poland or girls are taken to the countries of their origin. I was shocked to realize that some officials didn't even know what FGM was! FGM issue just begins to be noticed in the European countries where thousands of girls and women are in danger of undergoing FGM in the near future. Social dialogue and campaigns are needed. What should we do in Europe to fight FGM as this is one of the institutionalized means of violence against women, having in mind arguments such as this is "a private" issue or strongly rooted tradition? (I hope that this question is answerable and not only rhetorical). EU in a directive asked member countries to introduce proper laws regarding FGM but it just doesn't work, lay people aren't even aware of it and this seems to be some kind of vicious circle without a way to break it. It seems that people don't want to be accused of being intolerant or racist. We need people like you to show the general public that we can change things that seemed to be deemed to be untouchable, unchangeable, and just eternal. Where do you get your strength? You are changing the system, which is truly amazing! All the best! Molly Melching: I think we can all help the abandonment of FGC spread in Africa, Europe, and everywhere it occurs by first putting ourselves in the place of the women and families that are carrying it out. When we do this, we will realize that they do not intend to harm their daughters, but instead are trying to help them become full members of their societies. To put it more simply: African mothers practice FGC because they love their daughters.
I am excited to tell you that Tostan is now working with communities throughout Senegal to reach out to their extended families living in Europe, the US, and around the world. But in order for these communities to succeed these countries need to stop making immigrant communities feel judged, and start working with them to find solutions not only to FGC but to the many other issues facing us. When FGC ends, it will be because the communities themselves decided to give them up. We have an historic opportunity right now to build on the momentum in West Africa, and I hope the world will seize it. Back to top Teaching Canadian Kids About FGCEd Mizzi, Geography teacher, Notre Dame High School, Burlington, Canada: Congratulations on your great achievements. I teach a grade 12 (17-year-olds) World Issues
Anonymous: we can nevertheless teach students to develop an ethics in which we do not stop at saying torture is "barbaric," but rather ground cultural practices and beliefs in the systems that create them, and critique those systems based on the ways in which their power dynamics oppress, harm, and silence minorities, women, and children within the dominant culture. Molly Melching: Hi Ed, Yes, it can be difficult to see the world from another’s point of view. However, it is not impossible. For example, we know that FGC is held in place by social pressure: even when someone disagrees with the practice, they are very unlikely to express their views or stop doing it—because to do so would be to ruin their daughter’s future. I would imagine that your students can identify with doing things because of social pressure.
Convention shift through public declaration doesn’t just apply to driving. A similar phenomenon happened during the end of foot binding in China at the end of the 19th Century. And, for our purposes, it also applies to FGC—to go against the norm of FGC means becoming an outcast and ruining your daughter’s future. This is why Malicounda Bambara’s effort was so significant. By being the first to stand up, they risked everything—paving the way for thousands that are following. Back to top Disabled in AfricaPauline Banducci, Monterey, Massachusetts, USA: Congratulations Molly, I have heard about some of your future plans and the inroads you are making in Africa with many programs beside ones which focus on FGC. Those are inspirational to me also, especially your work with young boys who are begging in the streets and the radio programs, and your educational programs. A couple of other issues are near and dear to my heart and I would like to know more. (I have a daughter with autism and I am currently working with young adults with mental illness.) What is it like being disabled in Africa? Is there anything I can learn from those who work in Senegal or other parts of Africa? Molly Melching: Hi Pauline, so nice to hear from you!
Yet even given that traditional tolerance, I think there are ways we can make progress in this area in our work. Disabled people do sometimes participate in our classes, and in our class sessions we repeatedly discuss the rights of everyone, including the disabled, and ask people to think critically about whether or not their human rights are being protected and promoted. In terms of change this is really the only way to go about it—getting people to know, understand, and respect those in their community—regardless of whether they are disabled or not. In our program we do this through human rights—but I would say that any method that allows people to see others beyond the surface (and this of course applies to gender and race issues as well) provides a chance for change. It is then up to that local community to decide how far they want to go with it. Back to top Working with TostanEmily Riley: Chere Molly, Working with you and all of the other amazing people in the Tostan family was an experience that turned my world right side up... Thank you not only for allowing me to be apart of that exchange, but more importantly, thank you for all the dedicated, hard work you have done for all of the communities affected by the Tostan program; a true testiment to where ideas and love can take us. Congratulations, and a loving hello to all of you! Molly Melching: Hi Emily! Thank you so much for your comment and for all the work you did while at Tostan! Back to top The Role of MenShuhei Takami, Department of Peace Studies, University of Bradford, England: Dear Molly, First of all, I would like to express respect for your great work. I am studing a correlation of gender-based violence with repercussion of culture or custom. I think that the issue is closely involved in your work and it is not uncomplicated for women to obtain such kind of right within patriarchal societies not only in Africa but in advanced countries. Under the situation which there is a bias against women, namely female genital cutting, how do you make men deepen an understanding of the issue, embroil the movement and participate it? I am looking forward to your reply to my inquiry. Thank you. Timoteo in Luanda, Angola: I wonder if the initiative for female circuncision comes from men or from women themselves? Why from men? Molly Melching: Thank you Takami and Timoteo. I will answer Timoteo first as I think it will help our discussion: FGC is very often carried out by women. This is not always true, but is often the case. In our experience in Senegal, often men are not involved, and are sometimes shocked at what actually goes on during the process. However, men, like all others in the community, will immediately say that FGC is a good thing if questioned. Why? Because they feel their culture is being judged, and they feel they need to defend it.
As I mentioned above, the way that you envision a problem will often determine how people respond to you. If we see men as our enemies in this process, then that is how we will treat them (even if it is subtly), and what they will become. Yet in our experience, the fathers and grandfathers of West Africa are no different than those here in the US—trying to help their families grow up healthy and strong in an increasingly globalized and complex world. When approached with respect and understanding, and without prejudice (in its literal sense meaning pre-judging), men can become some of the strongest advocates for change. Back to top Scaling Up Your ModelIda, Washington, DC, USA: Dear Molly, First of all, congratulations to you and everyone you work with for launching such an incredible initiative to ensure women’s rights around the world! What I find most inspiring about your work on FGC is how committed you are to respecting local cultures and ensuring that the decision to abandon FGC is made from within the community—a process that is surely correlated to the extraordinary number of Senegalese villages that have abandoned the practice. So, first my question is, do you think this kind of community education model could and/or should be extended to advance other human rights? Do you think this model is particularly suited to dealing with human rights issues in West Africa, or could you see it being successfully replicated on an international level? And do you know of any other programs that use similar approaches to dealing with human rights issues around the world? Thank you for taking the time to answer all our questions and, again, congratulations on your wonderful work! Molly Melching: Hi Ida! To answer your first question: Yes! We have seen firsthand that our program can work in other countries. We have to-date run versions of our program in nine countries in Africa, including seven in West Africa and 2 in East Africa. In order to scale up our programs we are increasing our ability to implement in new countries, as well as experimenting with ways to share our models with others
Finally, there are many great programs around the world that use approaches and methods related to Tostan’s. I do think we were the first (or one of the first) organization(s) to use a human rights-based curriculum in local languages as a foundation for a development program. And our program is also rare (if not unique) in several other ways, including its long period of creation (17 years and counting), its cross-cutting program topics (not just FGC but also many other topics including democracy and human rights, problem solving, hygiene and health, literacy, math, and management, microcredit, and more); its focus on working with all groups in a community at once; its way of working in connection to extended social networks; its emphatic dedication to cultural respect; and others. In the past, we had less time to make ourselves aware of the work at a global level, simply because we were focused on reaching as many communities as possible in our “own backyard.” As we grow, however, we are greatly enjoying being able to learn more and more about other innovative programs around the world and sharing our experiences as well. Back to top About FGCTimoteo in Luanda, Angola: What is the reason or the foundation for such kind of practice for girls? Do they themselves need to do such kind of things? Molly Melching: Hi again Timoteo, I’m not sure exactly what your question means. If you mean do girls ask to have the procedure done, then the answer is yes. Many girls feel extreme social pressure to be “normal” and become a “real woman.” As I mentioned above, there can be many contributing causes to FGC, but the main one is that it is a social norm that is expected of everyone. Back to top Gender BiasAnonymous: I applaud your work—and incredible patience—imagine the outcry if a "socially approved" practice was to remove the penis from the male—it would have stopped before it started!!! God bless you in your work! Molly Melching: Hi Anonymous, Thank you for your kind words. I think we all have the capacity to be patient even while committed. Interestingly, the historians we have spoken with think that FGC, too, would have been very difficult to start—probably originating with a very powerful emperor who could have financially and/or physically forced it to begin. Back to top Protecting HumanityNili Majumder, India: Respected Molly Melching, A very hearty congratulation to you. February 6 is the International Day Against Female Genital Mutilation. You played a very important role to prevent the humanity and human right. After hard works for long days you achieved your destination. In August 1997, the village of Malicounda Bambara became the first Senegalese community to abandon the practice of FGC. I am inspired by Your work, achievement. I feel that hard work and determination towards the goal will bring the success. I have little experience to work with some communities, I take lessons from you. As a human being it is our duty to do some thing to protect humanity. Wishing you a great success in your mission in your life. Thanks again. Molly Melching: Hi Nili, it is inspiring to hear from you as well—best of luck in your work and your life. |
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