The Problem
A lot of harm, sufferance and death in African, Arabian and Asian countries is not caused by external influence like hunger, aridity or illnesses. It is caused by the people themselves - and is therefore totally avoidable. This misery extremely hinders the economic and social development in these countries. For that reason, financial and material investments in developing projects can only be efficient, if self-created and completely avoidable harm is stopped. One form of self-created harm that obstructs and hinders the society’s ability to develop is female genital mutilation (FGM) which aims to damage the genitalia of girls by cutting off their clitoris and labia. It aims to control girls and women and hinder them from developing a self-contained sexuality. Female genital mutilation is not an “exotic issue”: Today, FGM is one of the most systematic and widespread mistreatment and violation of childrens’ rights worldwide. Every year, more than three million victims are submitted to this violence on the African continent alone. Those victims from Yemen, the united Arab Emirates, Iraq and Iran, Indonesia and Malaysia have even to be added.The extent of FGM might be hard to believe: Up to 90 % of a country´s or a region´s female children (e.g., in Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Somalia, Gambia, Sierra Leone, etc.) are victimized by genital mutilations. The vast majority of the victims is physically and mentally damaged and traumatised for life. We have to assume that today, more than 200 million victims exist worldwide. As long as this violence is not stopped, as long as the deliberate damaging of whole female generations goes on, broad and lasting development in these countries or regions remains impossible. This means, that the end of female genital mutilation and the consequent protection of future generations is a very important key for lasting development. Every organisation that works with a sponsored child system has a special responsibility and duty of care for the sponsored children: All above mentioned organisations market sponsorships for female children in countries and regions where genital mutilations are widespread.
Have you ever asked the organisations whether and how the sponsored girls are protected from female genital mutilation? Not yet?
Well, we did - and we found out ...We are not talking about some individually viewed cases, but up 400,000 sponsored girls in 18 countries to whom protection is denied!We need to be aware that the organisations acquire up to 72 million Euros every year (e.g., PLAN International, according to our calculations) alone by marketing these sponsored girls.
Quite a lucrative business – but not for the girls!What does this policy of tolerance towards such grievous violation of childrens´ rights like female genital mutilation mean? True and lasting development of the whole society is simply impossible if this FGM is maintained. Regarding development aid, this fact has direct and negative consequences
- to achieve the highest economic efficiency, i.e. best development results with the invested donations. We have to state that your money is not used in the most effective way. We can even call it a veritable waste of money and resources,
- to the sustainability, because lasting development is impossible under these conditions, and
- the truthful content of the advertising promises, e.g., "plan makes sure that girls like Zaria from Togo can grow up in a healthy way.“ (PLAN International) or „your regular support helps to...protect the children from violence, exploitation and discrimination“. (Kindernothilfe, Germany), i.e. the organisations publish advertising statements which are quite untrue.
Are you aware that with your donation and support to the mentioned organisations, you directly agree with their policy of tolerance towards genital mutilation – and by continuing to donate you make it easy for them to maintain this policy?However, there is something you can do if you are convinced that this situation is overdue to be changed: There is a simple, efficient and lasting solution – that fully focuses the intactness of the sponsored girls and therefore improved chances for the development of the whole society: The solution
