UN Integrated Regional Information Networks

Burkina Faso: 'Pleasure Hospital' Under Construction for FGM/C Victims

Bobo-Dioulasso — Construction has begun of West Africa's first clinic for reconstructing clitorises for victims of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). Amid high demand, the US non-profit Clitoraid is funding the clinic, dubbed "Pleasure Hospital", in Bobo-Dioulasso, western Burkina Faso.

Financed through the non-profit's "Adopt a clitoris" campaign that sponsors women wishing to have clitoral reconstruction, Clitoraid raised more than US$50,000 to build the facility. Construction began in March and is expected to be completed by September.

Once opened, US-based gynaecological surgeons will offer free clitoral reconstruction surgeries to FGM/C victims from across West Africa. Currently too few surgeons are available to serve the number of women who want to reconstruct their mutilated clitorises and the price in private clinics remains unaffordable for most, according to the few surgeons trained on the procedure in Burkina Faso where the surgery was pioneered in 2006.

"Clitoraid decided to build the clinic in Bobo-Dioulasso because it is at the crossroads of several West African countries," said Mariam Banemanie, president of Clitoraid's local NGO partner, Voices of Women.

Cross-border FGM/C has been on the rise in West Africa in recent years, with cutters and girls evading one country's laws by participating in FGM/C in a neighbouring country.

Three million girls are at risk of FGM/C every year in Africa, according to World Health Organization (WHO), which defines FGM/C as any injury to female genital organs for non-medical reasons.

"The clinic will restore justice and give women the ability to feel sexual pleasure," Banemanie told IRIN. "Burkinabé women are b eginning to stand up for what they believe in - why should sexual pleasure not be a part of that?"

There has been such high demand for the reconstruction surgery that Clitoraid has placed a cap on the waiting list at 100, she said. Voices of Women receives daily calls from women - and sometimes husbands - expressing interest in the procedure, she added.

Prospective patients receive counselling from the NGO's psychologist who - on request - puts them in touch with women who have had clitoral reconstruction surgery in private clinics.

Abi Sanon, 36, said she was "lucky" to undergo clitoral reconstruction at a hospital in Ouagadougou in 2006. "I wanted to find my integrity and to know real pleasure. The procedure cost $320; my boyfriend contributed. It has really changed our lives. Before, I did not really know what pleasure felt like, and now it is not my boyfriend who calls the shots in our relationship - it is much more equal," said Sanon, who told IRIN she had her clitoris cut as a young girl.

Sanon told IRIN she was surprised at her family's positive reaction when she informed them she had wanted the surgery, since she said talking about sexual pleasure is still seen as taboo in her country.

Her 70-year-old mother has expressed interest in having the procedure once the hospital opens.

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations ]


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Comments 1 to 2 of 2 Post a comment

  • AFRICA MUST STOP LEASING, SELLING INVITING PARASITE NATIONS ON AFRICAN S
    May 8 2009, 08:41

    It is rather insulting and patronizing for WESTERN 'FEMINISTS' to try to impose their view of sexual relations on African people.

    It is like telling Western men that they SHOULD NOT BE CIRCUM. because sexual pleasure is also lost to some men who circumcize.

    The TRICK is not about African women having the ability to feel 'pleasure.' The trick is TOTALLY DISTROYING AND CHANGING AFRICAN NATIONS SO THAT WOMEN DOMINATE as they do in Black America and parts of the West, where the RAPID RISE OF WOMEN, the refusal to properly raise children, the discarding of sons for girls, the removal of fathers from families, the TENS OF MILLIONS OF UNBORN BABIES ABORTED (since 1975, about 18 million Black African-American babies have been aborted, a potential of about 100,000,000 (one hundred million Black African Americans have been wiped out due to abortions).

    What Africa needs is not MORE PLEASURE HOSPITALS SIMPLY FOR 'PLEASURE'S SAKE. If these hospitals will HELP TO INCREASE THE AFRICAN POPULATION (AND THEY WILL SINCE MORE WOMEN WILL ENJOY SEX AND WILL GET PREGNANT), they perhaps they can serve a purpose.

    However, IF THESE 'PLEASURE HOSPITALS,' are simply another 'Western' feminist trick to transfer POWER FROM WOMEN TO MEN, then African nations should reject it.

    Women gaining or being able to achieve 'sexual pleasure,' SHOULD NOT BE THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE IN THESE TIMES OF AFRICAN ECONOMIC PROBLEMS, AND THE PROLIFERATION OF 'PARASITE' NATIONS SURROUNDING AFRICA WITH THEIR WARSHIPS, 'BUYING AFRICA'S GOLD' AND HAVING LONG LEASES ON AFRICA'S OIL WEALTH.

    If the West wants to help Africa, THEY SHOULD KEEP THEIR FALSE 'MISSIONARIES,' who teach European worship to Africans as 'Christianity' while these same 'right wing' conservative 'Christians' promote and support policies from old slavery to modern high-tech enslavement of African-Americans, to the RACIST 'TALKSHOW' radio networks who have gone on an attack against African-Americans like Bara Oba and others.

    Africans should EXAMINE ANY PROPOSAL THAT comes from the west with more scorn. The same people who promote abortions and genocide through abortion in the US (directed at African-Americans) THESE ARE THE SAME PEOPLE WHO PROMOTE THESE 'PLEASURE' CLINICS.

    If the 'west' WANTS TO HELP AFRICA, let them send their teachers of high tech subjects to Africa. Let them encourage the millions of HIGHLY SKILLED PEOPLE OF AFRICAN ORIGINS TO ESTABLISH A 'PEACE CORPS' TO HELP TRANSFER TECHNOLOGY TO AFRICAN NATIONS. ( See 'Susu and Susunomics," http://www.iuniverse.com

    also see http://www.authorhouse.com 'Susu Economics')

    It is time that AFRICAN GOVERNMENTS AND PEOPLE STOP ALLOWING THE 'WEST' TO TAMPER WITH AND DISTROY WHAT HAS WORKED FOR AFRICANS FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

    While genital mutilation is absolutely dangerous -- MEANS THAT WILL ENCOURAGE PROMISCUITY and the seeking of false 'pleasaure' can also be dangerous.

    As long as the aim of the FEMINISTS from the West IS TO LOWER THE STATUS OF AFRICAN MEN, AS THEY HAVE DONE TO SOME AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND OTHER AMERICAN MEN IN THE U.S. AND EUROPE, then Africans must reject their proposals.

    Yes, 'pleasure hospitals,' may serve a purpose, BUT IT MUST NOT BE USED TO PROPEL WOMEN OR ANY OTHER GROUP TO A POSITION WHERE THEY DOMINATE THE SOCIETY.

    That would lead to the EXTINCTION OF THE SOCIETY.

    What Africa do not want IS THE SAME OLD 'FEMALE' DOMINATION AND RULE THAT OCCURRED DURING THE OLD DAHOMEY KINGDOM and parts of West Africa before the 20th century. In fact, in some areas, African men are still dominated by African women.

    In the US, THE FEMINISTS HAVE DEVISED A SYSTEM where African-American women and girls are pushed above African-American men and boys.

    Hence the result is a rapid decline both in power and population of the African-American nation, from a potential of aboatu 150,000,000 people to about 50,000,000 people today.

    http://blackmalepowermovement.forumsland.com

  • Omugabe
    May 8 2009, 17:16

    "Pleasure hospital" for the promotion of destructiveness of Western Promiscuity, Prostitution and Pornography.

    Last thing African women (Mother of Man) should want to do is to allow in and to emulate the loose, lost and promiscuous mutant American females, who have been serving with evil European males undermine, disrupt and destroy African cultures for centuries!