Overview

The cut is a painful rite of passage for girls across a wide swath of predominantly Islamic African and Middle Eastern countries. However, the practice goes back hundreds of years before Islam or Christianity and is also practiced in both faiths and religions native to this region. It’s thought to have originated in the harems of ancient rulers as a means of controlling women’s fidelity, or as a sign of chastity among those who aspired to be consorts.

Video

Task

What problems can you identify in this story? Are solutions presented?
In what way might this story be relevant in your community?
Can you think of a problem in your community that might be addressed by trying to shift attitudes on a wide scale ?
Why has Molly Melching been successful where so many others have failed?
Melching compares the shift in attitudes toward FGM to the shift in America’s social perception of smoking. What are some similarities and differences between those two examples?

Assignments

Are there other harmful social attitudes that Tostan’s method might be effective in changing? How so?