“The prevalence of excision varies considerably from one region of the country to another. In some, it is almost non-existent. But in Mandoul province, the birthplace of the Sara ethnic group, 80% of women are still excised. Excision is the removal of a woman’s external genitalia. It has been officially banned in Chad since 2002. Yet these young girls have just undergone it at the end of their initiation. Despite decades of struggle, the practice does not seem to have diminished significantly”.
Torn between health protection and custom, respect for the law and social pressure, the words of men and women are gradually being set free. A poignant documentary about the factors that influence the persistence of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Mandul.
A film by Carol Valade, with Florence Chatot and Nesta Yamgoto, produced by Groupe URD as part of the “PASFASS” project.
This documentary was produced as part of the PASFASS project (Project to socially empower Chadian women via access to health services and addressing gender-based violence), carried out in partnership with the NGO CARE and the Bureau d’Appui Santé et Environnement (BASE), with the support of the French Development Agency.
It is a continuation of the study on Social dynamics and norms related to female genital mutilation in Mandoul Region, that provides a better understanding of the social, economic and legislative factors influencing the persistence of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Mandoul.