In the rural economy of Africa, which includes a traditional caste system, "women are chattel and the wholly owned property of men," according to Fran Hosken. In other words, they are slaves! They are traded or sold (by bride-price) between men, and they and their children are used as the male-owned agricultural labor force. Most women have no access to health care and are completely ignorant about the most basic and vital functions of their bodies, even though many in Africa go through 10 or more pregnancies-often until they die in childbirth. But then, ignorance is a means of control as is FGM, wife abuse and rape-traditional rights of African men. Educated young women in the cities who are self-supporting often remain single to avoid male abuse.
What drives women to continue FGM? Fear! In a society where a woman has no economic rights-cannot own property, is not allowed to work for herself, has little access to education-marriage is all-important. And when the controlling gender insists FGM is an essential requirement for marriage in all African societies where it is practiced, the only recourse is to submit or escape.
(1) By Marcia L. Mason, http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.worldservice.org/issues/junjul96/fgm.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.worldservice.org/issues/junjul96/fgm.html&h=774&w=544&sz=102&hl=en&start=31&um=1&tbnid=DWNNio99kLZeIM:&tbnh=142&tbnw=100&prev=/images%3Fq%3DFGM%26start%3D20%26ndsp%3D20%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN
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