http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/africa/nigeria/110325/clinic-fistula-women
This article provides a good overview of the social ostracism women with fistulas face and the various factors that contribute to their existence: poor obstetric care, cultural factors such as early marriages and the subordinate status of women: “Rural women remain second-class citizens,” the article says. It goes on to describe the surgical options that could correct the problem but are often unavailable or unknown to women suffering from fistulas. It also mentions the existence of fistulas in the U.S., last seen in the mid-19th century.
One area of interest is the mention ofthe traditional practice of “gishiri,” which sounds similar to female genital cutting yet involves the enlargement of the woman’s vagina for male sexual satisfaction. As we have read in class, FGM is complex and cannot be reduced to a moral dichotomy of right/wrong. While gishiri sounds painful and stems from a patriarchal perspective, I would be curious to learn more about it in this regard.
-Laura Johnson