Female Genital Mutilation in Togo

Fauziya Kassindja fled from Togo to avoid undergoing the female genital mutilation (FGM) and entering into a forced marriage with a polygamous man. FGM is practiced as an obligatory custom in many of the tribes within Togo. FGM is required for a female to enter into a marriage in these tribes, where there are limited alternative options for survival. Not only does FGM degrade women, but it also often results in health problems and sometimes even death. Forced marriage is a custom in Togo and polygamy is accepted under Islamic law. The few fortunate women, like Fauziya, who are able to flee the country to avoid FGM face problems with receiving asylum because persecution, such as FGM and polygamy, that only affects women is not widely accepted as a reason for the granting of asylum.

FGM is a custom among some of the tribes of Togo. FGM is performed to cleanse the women before entering the house of her husband. Women in Togo are usually circumcised when they reach the age of 15 or earlier if they are married off. Despite the fact that the mother has been through this painful procedure, they often willingly allow their daughters to undergo it and in even encourage FGM, as it is seen as a part of their culture that cannot be changed. Although, FGM is a way of males controlling women's sexuality, women are often the ones that perform the procedure.