MWENYA’S DIARY

                                By Mwenya Mukuka
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a cultural practice that started in Africa approximately 2000 years ago. It is primarily a cultural practice, not a religious practice. But some religions do include FGM as part of their practices. This practice is so deep-seated into these cultures, and gives definition of members of such cultures. People in such culture believe that a girl would never become a woman without such procedure. In order to eliminate the practice one must eliminate the cultural belief that a girl will not become a woman without this procedure.
Female Genital Mutilation is the term used for removal of all or just part of the external parts of the female genitalia. There are three varieties to this procedure.
*Sunna Circumcision which consists of the removal of the prepuce (retractable fold of skin, or hood) and /or the tip of the clitoris. Sunna in Arabic means “tradition”. Then Clitoridectomy the removal of the entire clitoris (prepuce and glands) and the removal of the adjacent labia.
Infibulation (pharonic circumcision) consists of performing a clitoridectomy (removal of all or part of the labia minora, the labia majora). This is then stitched up allowing a small hole to remain open to allow for urine and menstrual blood to flow through.
One of the sources during the research on the subject said that genital mutilation is meant to make women be kept clean, and have the same shape of vagina hence preventing men to go for other women. The development prevents adultery and consequently reducing the infection rate of HIV. Could it a reason why in the regions where the practice is done has low infections of HIV and indeed be a solution to reducing the infection rate of HIV?
The practice described above may not be in practice in Zambia but there is a kind of mutilation that is not spoken about yet it mutilation. The pulling of the labia to length them. According to a marriage councillor who declined to be name d for fear of that her fellow will look at her as a disgrace the women folk told this writer that women are encouraged to pull the labia.
‘As woman you suppose to know what a man wants. As you are sleeping with your man he should have what to play with on your womanhood as that would make him feel moved easily’ She noted. 
 ‘Besides that, when you pull your labia it will make your womanhood bulge hence stimulating a man when you pull down your clothes before your man’. She added
And a female Journalism student at ZAMCOM in Lusaka Chola Mwamba conceded to the above.
She said ‘ the practice (labia pulling) is tradition and women feel that they cannot run away from Tradition and Culture. According to tradition, the longer the labia, the more a man is stimulated sexually.’
Chola further disclosed that when a woman reaches puberty, she is told the importance of pulling the labia but elders do not disclose the role it plays in stimulating both the man and her sexually.
Chola however believes that the invasion of western culture on the country’s culture is making women ‘relax’ and forget about the importance of keeping the tradition as a way of sustaining the partner’s sexual desire and tame them.
‘It is believed that some women lose their partners because of their failure to have what they call ‘the required Womanhood parts.’ And it is indeed worth noting that some men are sometimes not content with what their respective partners offer in terms of their womanhood and end up having extra sexual affairs.’
‘Beauty and love can be there, but women should be reminded to keep the tradition in order to strengthen their sexual relationship with their partners.’ Chola recommended lastly.
Another Lusaka primary school teacher admitted women usually pull the labia. ‘Its true we pull, especially when you are missing your man, watch a romantic movie or when he calls you especially in the night’ She said.
Another woman markteeer from Soweto market after a long hesitation in answering to questions about the about the practice she finally admitted.
‘Every woman do that, why be left out if you want to keep your man.’ ‘After all we do it for the good our men’. She added.
Further investigations about the issue of pulling the labia, a prominent woman politician and another woman finance director of prominent firm in Lusaka all said that the practice is there but cannot be defined as genital mutilation.
‘You media people, so you want this issue to come out in the open, why do are interested in talking about the women issues? It is there but that can’t be regarded as genital mutilation. Genital mutilation is bad. And please don’t quote me nakupapata’ Said the politician.
If such women from all sector of society can agree to labia pulling and if we agree with the definition given in the BBC English dictionary of the world Mutilation that defines it as damaging, then Genital mutilation is alive in Zambia . One would just wonder what effects have been in our women who have pulled their labia for the benefit of their sexual partners. Since women don’t want the issue to be spoken about it shall continue to be practiced in silence and the culture will definitely move to the next generation.
But women should know that labia pulling can result in small amounts of urine getting trapped inside the membrane, and the woman can get an infection, and irritation of the skin and lining of the vagina even repeated bladder infections. Sometimes there can be trouble with toilet training, because a little urine gets caught above the fused labia (inside the vagina), and leaks out after she gets off the toilet, wetting her pants. This can be embarrassing to a very woman. Pulling the labia can be painful, and there can be a little bleeding along the edges of the labia. As the labia heal, the edges can fuse together again.
In the continued search for more information on the issue another recently married Lusaka based female broadcaster admitted to the trend. ‘My grand mother when I got of age told me to start pulling the labia. When I resisted she told my father who told me if I didn’t do it,I was going to be a ‘man’’ .She said. She further said that pulled labia acts as ‘hands’ to hold the penis when making love so that it doesn’t come out easily when the man pushes up and down’ 
Labia pulling as put by one interviewee that it is done for the sake of men bring me to the so-called “dry sex”. This is practiced whereby girls and women attempt to dry out their vaginas in an effort to provide more pleasurable sex to men. This dryness is achieved by using certain herbs and ingredients that reportedly reduce vaginal fluids and increase friction during intercourse. Given the likelihood that dry sex will cause tears and lacerations in the vaginal wall, especially among adolescent girls, the practice increases the risk of HIV transmission.
According to a 1999 report by the Ministry of Health and the Central Board of Health to enhance male pleasure, a number of women continue to practice dry sex, which can increase vulnerability to infection through exposing genital organs to bruising and laceration.
While in Zambia the practice is being discouraged it is hard to know whether it is on the decline. One woman said ‘men love dry sex. If you’re wet, they think it’s not normal”. Counselors at Young Women’s Christian Association drop-in centre in Lusaka , explained that women are made to believe that they are supposed to be dry. There is even a name given to those who are too wet, they are called ‘ Chambeshi River ’, referring to massive current flow of water in Chambeshi River . Some men tell ladies that being wet mean that they have been with too many men. Women tend to continue practicing dry sex all in sought of maintaining the relationship.