Chief Madzimawe of the Ngoni speaking people in Eastern Province says there is need for close collaboration among stakeholders in fighting female genital elongation.
The Traditional Leader said this is a harmful practice recognized as a form of female genital mutilation and has seen some girls and women in Zambia and in Southern Africa being forced to pull and elongate their genitalia because of demands by sexual and traditional practices.
Chief Madzimawe said the practice prevalent in most SADC countries, has now been included on harmful practices such as gender-based violence and early child marriages that authorities are fighting.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the 4th Specialized Technical Committee meeting on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment being held in Addis Ababa.
And Chief Chamuka of the Lenje speaking people says he is committed to working with President Edgar Lungu in his ambitious programme of ending child marriage in Zambia.
Chief Chamuka said the honor bestowed on President Lungu as African Union Champion on Ending Child Marriage has seen Zambia implement programmes that will lead to complete elimination of child marriages.
He said his chiefdom has banned child marriages and has gone further to retrieve girls that have been subjected to the Vice.
Chief Chamuka further commended government for coming up with empowerment programmes for women in rural areas as doing so would contribute to women being self-reliant and not prone to gender-based violence.
He further said he would support President Lungu’s development agenda because the President had clearly indicated that he will develop Zambia without leaving anyone behind.
And Zambia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union Emmanuel Mwamba said the role of traditional leaders in ending child marriage is paramount.
He also announced that President Edgar Lungu would chair a side event on ending child marriages, GBV and Gender mutilation during the January/Febuary 2020 Ordinary Heads of States Summit to be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
This is contained in a statement issued by First Secretary Press and Tourism at the Zambian Embassy in Ethiopia Inutu Mwanza.
Female genital mutilation is a cruel harmful practice whose side effects are well documented.BUT WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS OF FEMALE GENITAL ELONGATION? NOT EVERY TRADITIONAL PRACTICE IS WRONG TILL WE ARE AVAILED WITH FACTS AS IS THE CASE WITH MUTILATION! Westerners deem everything African as primitive and want to force their ideals on us,today they tell us homosexuality is good and we must accept it when infact in most of our Zambian languages WE DONT EVEN HAVE ITS EQUIVALENT WORD!!The Chief must first call his traditionalists and discuss the matter to learn why and how the practices started before starting to abolish what is not yet even backed by Zambian Laws!
Genital elongation is in fact very helpful to women. Women who have undergone this experience more sexual pleasure than those who dont. As faras I know this practice is voluntary. Its not forced but Iam saying so because I experienced it in town not in the village. It may just be that in the village this is compulsory but like Zambia is ours says it is not primitive. It is just African
We shall soon start marying ifisushi. I love women who possess some tradition values. They value their marriage and give respect to their husbands. In Bemba when they say aka kamwanakashi nika na chisungu. It means she has gone through mariage counselling and knows how to keep a home. Yes 18yrs old is fine. Even whites when a child attains 18 they are matured and ready to stay for themselves. Just bcoz some NGO women fail to find husbands at 40 does not mean we should throw away our rich traditions. Why worry about pregnancies now. Most Parents are just failing to groom their children. Wether u remove our rich traditions or not Children will still get pregnant as long as poverty levels continue increasing and parents fail to instill good moral values in their children mainly bcoz they…
So the Easterners will lose their prized asset.
Well articulated
Ba Chief Madzimawe, You do not have to follow blindly. The Jews have been practicing male circumcision for millennial. So have many African ethnic groups. It is a form of genital mutilation, but no one is campaigning against it. Ba Chief, Nkalani pansi. Find another campaign to invest you time, such as reforestation. DO NOT ENTER OTHER PEOPLES BEDROOMS. Mbuya ….. Just stop your wife!!!!
What a waste of time and now vitenges for the university of Zambia? Who is the beneficiary? Certainly if the university, no one would be crying for not being paid, what a mediocre country with absolutely no vision
If the thing can be elongated….then it is correct that the longer one can also be shortened. Can someone please confirm . There have been calls to shorten those who are too long.
What are the known side effects of elongation of the genitalia? And please someone educate me on the benefits? I agree that we should not discard traditions just because the colonialists tell us to do so.
Ask Sharon
That Chief is too fat. I wonder if he could have survived the Ngoni’s great trek from Kwazulu South Africa
Most Parents are just failing to groom their children. Wether u remove our rich traditions or not Children will still get pregnant as long as poverty levels continue increasing and parents fail to instill good moral values in their children mainly bcoz they also dont have such values. And What do you expect from chiefs who are on salaries and paid by NGOs? They are now politicians.
I have never heard of this.
Maybe we need to ask from a woman’s point of view…….
Sharon , has elongation affected you ???
But spaka the traditional practice is said to benefit a woman and you the man. From the man’s point of view has FGE benefited you that is if you can tell the difference between the pulled one and the untempered with.
I think an FGE is spaka mwe.
allow women to decide on their own
they are smart enough to choose what’s best for them. quit dictating to them about matters pertaining to their bodies.
there are too many fo ols in top positions, they were told by some wazungu that Zambian men should be circumcised to prevent hiv infections and they started doing that without using their heads (no pan intended).
Infact when we practised circumcision from long ago, the same NGOs were fighting the traidition, but when they realised it helps prevent HVI, they took it up and behaved as if its them introducing in our community. It wall about money from their sponsors
Women must decide on their own.This is not FGM any more than circumcision is for the men.When western countries say it is good then we rush and parade ourselves in agreement.
another KOLWE ne chi pato
Find other things to play with; not our treasurers, please mwami twapapata
When the debate on circumcision was discussed in the early church.It was deemed not necessary.What is required is circumcision of the heart.Peter Carlos Hinds.
I hear that elongation is sweet and saxy for both parties, and it is voluntary no one stretches them for you. So why the fuss Mwami, you refuse to enjoy?
and tender too, just the feel of them……. I end here. The chief should not bring issues that he is not sure of. This culture has been there for centuries, we found it. You mean our great great fore fathers were so dull to continue with such practices? There is no harm in it. No effects whatsoever. Let this be left to individuals.
Elongated nunu is very sweet ask Sharon…. And it’s magical
This chief must stay out of subjects he does not understand. Let his wife talk. Meanwhile , the subject is dirty ; close it.