Female Circumcision Death in Burkina Faso

by Jordan Yerman | September 29, 2007 at 07:18 am

794 views | 0 Recommendations | 0 comments

Burkina Faso was one of the first coutnries to outlaw female circumcision, and has been training government employees to pursue reports of the practice. However, the procedure still takes place in some areas.

The death of a 14-year-old girl from female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) has sparked shock and anger in Burkina Faso, which has been seen as far ahead of other African countries in the fight against the practice.

"Sorrowful and shocking" is how Aïna Ouédraogo, permanent secretary of the National Committee for the Fight against Excision (CNLPE), described the girl's death.

The teenager was one of 15 girls - aged 4 to 14 - who were circumcised the week of 17 September in the rural town of Pabre, 15km from the capital, Ouagadougou, CNLPE's Ouédraogo told IRIN[UN Integrated Regional Information Networks].

Seven of the girls are currently being treated at a Ouagadougou hospital for infections and haemorrhaging, Ouédraogo added.

The 80-year-old woman performing the cutting and some of the girls' relatives have been arrested. They face a fine of up to 900,000 CFA francs (US$1,944) and up to three years in jail. Because the cutting resulted in a death, the woman faces a maximum sentence of 10 years.