Is labia elongation a violation of women’s bodies

OFTEN times, I stare at my body in the mirror whether conscious or not, I realise that African black women have little or no control over what happens to their bodies with special regards towards sexual gratification.
Vivid memories of my early teen days serve me of times when an elderly woman opposite our house in Lusaka’s Libala township, where I grew up from, would coerce me to engage in labia-pulling without giving reasons why such a strenuous activity was important.
I remember how I would sit in the bathroom in the evenings practicing it as it is supposed to be done behind closed doors.
I would do it manually and at the end of it all, I would but just experience excruciating pain and sometimes I was advised to take certain herbs that would make them grow faster without any pain.
During class, my fellow schoolgirls would say “the labia are used to enhance sexual satisfaction for a man and sometimes makes childbirth easier.”
My teachers would tell me that “women who do not pull their labia to a desirable size will never get married and if they do, men will run away from them in search of women who have.”
Labia stretching also referred to as labia-elongation or labia-pulling is the act of elongating the labia minora through manual manipulation.
It is commonly referred to as ‘bush visiting’ because girls often perform it while in the bush on errands such as collecting firewood.
They begin the practice at 9 to 12 years because at this age, the young girl’s tissues are softer and flexible for pulling.
It is a familiar cultural practice in most African countries such as Rwanda, Zambia, Malawi, Uganda, Burundi and a few other countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
It is performed for sexual enhancement of a man and is perceived to facilitate orgasm and female ejaculation.
However the benefits labia elongation may have, truth remains it adds no ‘flavour’ to the sexual romance between a man and woman.
And to solidify that labia elongation adds no ‘aroma’ to the sexual act, Lusaka-based reproductive health specialist Swebby Macha said there is no evidence medically to suggest that the elongation enhances sexual pleasure in both men and women.
Dr Macha, however, said most of the perceived enhanced sexual pleasure could be psychological.
He noted that there are minor health risks involved in labia pulling such as initial pain, swelling and irritation from certain herbal oils.
“During sexual stimulation, the labia minora swell and become more sensitive to stimulation,” Dr Macha added.
Apart from health risks involved, labia elongation does infringe on the sexual rights of women.
To Peter Mweemba, a married man of Lusaka, labia-elongation is an act of slavery where a woman is made to be an object of sexual satisfaction of a man.
Mr Mweemba said the sexual rights of a woman are violated as she is made to do everything possible to ensure a man is satisfied in bed.
“To me, whether a woman has them or not doesn’t serve any purpose but I would rather go for one with the natural ones,” he narrated.
So true is that labia pulling is solely for the benefit of a man and obviously leaves a woman with no choice to choose what she feels is best for her.
Similarly, Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) an organisation that supports the sexual and reproductive rights of women told this author that the culture of labia elongation should not be mandatory for all girls to practice.
YWCA executive director Patricia Ndhlovu charged that the culture of labia-elongation should not be imposed on the young girls but rather they must be given freedom to choose what they feel is best for themselves.
Ms Ndhlovu challenged traditional counsellors tasked with the responsibility of handling young girls once matured to give proper guidance to them regarding the importance of labia elongation.
“Personally, I do not think labia pulling has any bearing on sexual intercourse and we demand that girls should be furnished with information as regards to why they must be engaged in labia pulling,” she added.
And as we commemorate this year’s 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence, it is particularly important that certain cultural practices are abolished or rather amended to ensure that the rights of women are not violated.
This year’s 16 days of activism against gender-based violence is running under the theme ‘From peace in the home to peace in the nation: Stop gender-based violence: Empower women’.
Violence against women range from physical, emotional, sexual, and verbal and the list goes on.
And part six Article 21 of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) protocol on gender and development, member states are urged to eliminate gender-based violence such as domestic violence, rape, femicide, sexual harassment, female genital mutilation and all other forms of GBV.
Furthermore, the article states that member states should discourage traditional norms including social, economic, cultural and political practices, which legitimise and exacerbate the persistence and tolerance of GBV with the view to eliminate them.

Africa should continue wooing investors’

AFRICA should create a good environment for investors to foster public private partnerships for advanced sustainable economic growth on the continent.
This was said at the three-day second African Union private sector and agribusiness forum that was here recently.
The forum ran under the theme ‘transforming Africa’s agriculture for shared prosperity and improved livelihoods: harnessing opportunities for inclusive growth and sustainable development’.
In her keynote address, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture for African Union Commission Rhoda Tumusiime noted that there is an increase in the number of private sector firms that seek to partner with African governments in fostering change in the agriculture sector.
Ms Tumusiime said there is need to scale up and replicate these efforts in a sustainable and all-inclusive manner.
She said “as the AUC we will continue to pursue mutually beneficial long-term relationships that we see building between the private sector and our governments that will be based on mutual understanding of incentives, roles and expectations of the public and private sectors.”
Ms Tumusiime also earlier noted that member states should take agriculture as a business that has to be financed.
She said unless the sector is funded to play its role, it will not be able to contribute the much-needed rewards and other multiplier effects on improved food, nutrition, jobs, wealth and social welfare.
Meanwhile, Rwandan Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources Geraldine Mukeshimana said agribusiness remains important in that it contributes to poverty reduction.
Ms Mukeshimana said agribusiness contributes three percent to Africa’s gross domestic product.
She said African governments should take advantage of the increasing population as this will increase demand for food.
“Unfortunately we are seeing a situation where there is reduced investment in agriculture worldwide which has resulted in food shortage and poverty,” Ms Mukeshimana said.

Panos launches $150,000 scheme for governance

PANOS Institute Southern Africa (PSAF) has launched a US$150,000 radio platform for participation of the marginalised rural communities on the management and governance of natural resources in the Southern African Development Community.
The project will cover Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Although it was pegged to be operationalised by September this year, it is late by a month and is expected to end in October 2015.
And rural community radio stations will be used as a mode of communication that communities will have to enhance their participation.
Speaking during the radio platform citizen participation regional conference in Lusaka yesterday, PSAF executive director Lilian Keifer noted that the intervention of involving rural communities will enable them engage in dialogue and debate on the management and governance of the region’s natural resources and how they can be improved for their own benefit.
Ms Keifer said the thematic focus of the project is the intervention in extractive industries.
“It goes without saying that local communities have faced the brunt of the negative effects of the extractive activities in their areas. These range from toxic waste in the sources of the water and other sources of livelihoods, internal displacement, and poor working conditions, among others,” she said.
Ms Keifer said people do not have an opportunity of channels through which they can communicate their sufferings.
“PSAF sees the need to empower these communities with platforms like radio listening clubs where they can receive information on how to demand accountability from these industries and claim their protection and dignity,” she said.
Speaking at the same function, Panos Great Lakes regional director Cyprien Ndikumana said the project will help restore peace, especially in countries where wrangles are prominent due to abundant natural resources.
Mr Ndikumana added that local people will be able to air their views on the management of natural resources and “this will raise awareness to politicians, who will know exactly what rural communities have to say over their own minerals.”

Teachers’ best suited to campaign for selves

TEACHER unions are in a better position to wage a serious campaign to uplift the status and position of women and girls in the country, Education Deputy permanent secretary Christine Mayondi has said.
Officiating at the first ever Southern African Women in Education Network (SAWEN) conference in Lusaka yesterday, Ms Mayondi said teacher unions have the ability to address some of the hurdles preventing the advancement of women and girls due to their presence countrywide.
The conference attracted participants from Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
She said teacher unions must be seen in the frontline fighting the negative vices that hinder the development and advancement of women and girls.
“I’m calling upon the Zambia National Union of Teachers (ZNUT) to become a trend setter to accord our women folk more opportunities and positions of leadership in the union at all levels. As unions, you should be seen to promote gender equality by practicing what we preach,” Ms Mayondi said.
Speaking earlier, ZNUT General Secretary Newman Bubala said issues of gender were cardinal to the Zambian government as evident in the creation of the gender ministry.
Mr Bubala said this shows how passionate Zambia is with the advancement of girls and women.
He said “in every teacher union in Zambia we have ensured there is a gender desk.”
And SAWEN president Leah Kasaji pledged to include more women to serve in teacher union positions.
Ms Kasaji noted that if that is to be achieved there is need to all teacher unions countrywide and the region to work together.
She however said “the teacher unions will not relent but to ensure they contribute to the fight against teen pregnancies among schoolgirls.”

Engage youths in farming, Agribiz winner urges stakeholders

AFRICA’s agricultural transformation is attainable if youths are engaged in high farming, a 2014 AgriBiz for Africa Youth Competition winner Nickson Muturi has said.
Speaking during the second high-level African Union private sector agribusiness forum in Kigali recently, Mr Muturi noted that African governments should develop profitable agricultural policies that will enable youths engage in farming.
The meeting, which attracted participants across Africa, was running under the theme ‘Transforming Africa’s agriculture for shared prosperity and improved livelihoods: harnessing opportunities for inclusive growth and sustainable development.’
Mr Muturi said, “I am suggesting that we need to have role models in the agriculture sector that will inspire the youths to engage in farming as that will have potential to transform the sector in Africa.”
Additionally, chairperson for chamber of young entrepreneurs in Rwanda Lydie Hakizimana said it’s time African leaders paid attention to youths in agriculture.
Ms Hakizimana noted that youths in agriculture are not given better incentives and that is why majority of them leave the sector.
And Nigeria’s Fresh and Young Brains development initiative chairperson Nkiruka Nnaemego said the youths in agriculture not only need role models but mentors.
Ms Nnaemego said Africa needs to introduce awards scheme that will motivate youths in the agriculture sector.

President Sata child rights defender’

AMONG child rights activists, President Sata will be remembered as a defender and champion of children’s rights.
His countless engagements with children from all walks of lives are evident following the different interactions he and First Lady Christine Kaseba had with them at State House.
In an interview, Media Network for Child Rights and Development (MNCRD) project manager Prisca Sikana said the late President recognised children as citizens of the land.
Ms Sikana said during his three-year tenure, President Sata paid attention to children by ensuring they had access to basic needs such as education and good health.
She said “this was demonstrated through adding mother and child health issues to Ministry of Community Development and putting together the Ministry of Gender and Child Development. Children issues were moved from Youth and Sport where we as child rights activists believed it was overshadowed”.
Ms Sikana added that the introduction of a new realistic curriculum which was promised for many years also became a reality for the Zambian child.
In a separate interview, Advocacy for Juvenile Justice executive director Josephat Njobvu said the late President was a pro-poor person who looked into the plight of children from all walks of life.
Mr Njobvu said during the three years Mr Sata served as President, the country saw a number of legal reforms which included those that looked into the plight of juvenile justice.
He said “juvenile justice legal reforms were incorporated into the current laws of the land”.

Agriculture key to improvement’

TO MIRIAM Chunga, a small holder farmer of Shamundende village in Sichanzu ward, central Zambia, farming has not only enabled her raise finances but has greatly improved the health of her family.
Before venturing into farming three years ago, the Chunga household had been faced with malnutrition due to lack of sufficient food.
For the past three years, Mr Chunga has religiously been growing crops such beans, spinach, okra, tomatoes, onions and various vegetables on a 50sq meter piece of land. The fact that she has a well which never runs dry at her farm has also been a plus for her.
“The dietary needs of my family have greatly improved since I ventured into farming. We are now able to eat nutritious meals every day. Apart from improving our diet, I am also able to buy other foods to supplement our nutritious diet as well as send my children to school by selling the surplus farm produce,” Chunga narrated.
About 300 metres away from Ms Chunga is another small holder farmer, Mervis Chibeleki who specialises in animal farming. Ms Chibeleki’s family diet has also improved because of her involvement in farming.
Ms Chibeleki who started animal farming in 2012 owns goats and chickens but also has a garden like the rest of the farmers in the village.
Like Ms Chunga, Ms Chibeleki’s interest in animal farming was in a bid to escape poverty and malnutrition.
“When I started, I had one goat and one chicken. Now, I am a proud owner of seven goats and 20 chickens. Animal farming has proven to be a good source of proteins recommended for health living,” Ms Chibeleki said.
Evidently agriculture does not only play a role in food security but also contributes to the good health of citizens particularly children.
Child malnutrition has proved to be a challenge in most developing countries. In Zambia, 45 per cent of children under five years old have stunted; a situation which has been attributed to poor diet and health.
It is against this background that Realigning Agriculture to Improve Nutrition (RAIN) project was initiated in Mumbwa district to help small holder farmers improve the nutrition of households.
Mumbwa district with an estimated population of 218,328 has child stunting levels at 43 per cent.
RAIN, a project implemented by Concern Worldwide with support from Irish Aid and Kerry Group, is a five year one programme which aims at eradicating malnutrition among families in Mumbwa.
Small holder farmers under the RAIN project mainly focuses on food production and diversification of household consumption. Framers also focus on cultivating and processing a variety of crops.
The crops grown which are chosen based on their nutritional value include legumes (cowpeas, groundnuts, biofortified beans, orange fleshed sweet potatoes), vegetables (amaranthus, rape, tomatoes, carrots, spinach, pumpkins, green beans) and fruits (banana suckers, granadillas, watermelons).
Additionally, the farmers boast of a ‘goat pass on scheme’ which aims at ensuring they all have animal source products that provides the much-needed proteins and minerals.
RAIN project district programme coordinator Concern Worldwide Richard Mwape said about 45, 000 households have so far been empowered with the know how to improve their nutrition.
Mr Mwape said agriculture has potential to improve food security and reduce hunger levels currently being experienced by many families.
“The use of agriculture to fight child stunted growth in Mumbwa district couldn’t have come at a better time especially that majority of households (87 per cent) have access to land,” he said.
Another organisation which places emphasis on ending hunger and malnutrition in Africa is NEPAD’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), a continental framework for transforming agriculture in Africa.
The framework aims at improving national status by elimination child under-nutrition in Africa with a view of bringing down stunted growth to 10 per cent and underweight to five per cent by 2015.
And Mumbwa District administrative officer Charles Hamphande has recommended for more projects that will reduce hunger and increase food security as well as provide nutrition.
Mr Hamphande however said there is need for guidance on the type of crops small holder farmers can diversify in to reduce hunger.
Irish ambassador to Zambia, Finbar O’Brien said addressing under-nutrition and hidden hunger through nutrition needed the integrational approach as malnutrition across sectors.
Mr O’Brien said there have been some levels of success especially with the reduction in under-five mortality rates but Zambia can do much more.
“However, nutrition for growth commitments to reduce under nutrition by 50 per cent and increase nutrition funding by 20 per cent year are a bold statement of commitment,” Mr O’Brien.
And Deputy Minister-Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Greyford Monde said the government is cognizant that combating under-nutrition will result in improved social welfare and eventual reduction in poverty levels in the country.
Mr Monde said hunger affects human health and development.
“It is for this reason that Government is developing operational guidelines for the promotion of diverse locally available and processed foods,” he said.