http://akhilak.com/blog/2010/04/02/feature-friday-tostan/ By Akhila K. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:00:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://akhilak.com/blog/2010/04/02/feature-friday-tostan/#comment-2580 Akhila Wed, 07 Apr 2010 00:46:55 +0000 http://akhilak.com/blog/?p=765#comment-2580 Although the women participate in practices of FGC, their very participation is due to ingrained sexism in the culture - where the women have internalized the feelings that in order for men to accept them, love them, or marry them, they need to cut or be "pure" for their enjoyment. This type of thinking is flawed in itself, so much of the strategy must be in engaging the mothers and the female family members - empowering them to see themselves as strong and wonderful individuals. Once women are empowered - through education, access to justice, and opportunities to make an income through things like small-businesses and microfinance, they will slowly change their own ideologies. When women become empowered and independent, they will stop seeing themselves as creatures meant for the enjoyment of men or subordinate to men. Then they will play an active role in providing more positive lives for their children. Although the women participate in practices of FGC, their very participation is due to ingrained sexism in the culture – where the women have internalized the feelings that in order for men to accept them, love them, or marry them, they need to cut or be “pure” for their enjoyment. This type of thinking is flawed in itself, so much of the strategy must be in engaging the mothers and the female family members – empowering them to see themselves as strong and wonderful individuals. Once women are empowered – through education, access to justice, and opportunities to make an income through things like small-businesses and microfinance, they will slowly change their own ideologies. When women become empowered and independent, they will stop seeing themselves as creatures meant for the enjoyment of men or subordinate to men. Then they will play an active role in providing more positive lives for their children.

]]> http://akhilak.com/blog/2010/04/02/feature-friday-tostan/#comment-2573 Sarah Elizabeth Sun, 04 Apr 2010 13:59:33 +0000 http://akhilak.com/blog/?p=765#comment-2573 Regarding FGC, and even enforced sexism in general, whether in Muslim cultural practices around the world, or Western cultural practices, the problem we bump up against is the women who are enforcing these practices. Mosques in America are strictly segregated, but much of it is coming from the women. How do we address that? Regarding FGC, and even enforced sexism in general, whether in Muslim cultural practices around the world, or Western cultural practices, the problem we bump up against is the women who are enforcing these practices. Mosques in America are strictly segregated, but much of it is coming from the women. How do we address that?

]]> http://akhilak.com/blog/2010/04/02/feature-friday-tostan/#comment-2572 Most Tweeted Articles by Human_rights Experts Sat, 03 Apr 2010 14:52:13 +0000 http://akhilak.com/blog/?p=765#comment-2572 [...] align=alignleft width=324 caption=A boy poses in front of one of more th... 3 Tweets Feature Friday: Tostan | Justice for all I recently read Half the Sky, by Nick Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn. To be quite honest, I wasn't a [...] [...] align=alignleft width=324 caption=A boy poses in front of one of more th… 3 Tweets Feature Friday: Tostan | Justice for all I recently read Half the Sky, by Nick Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn. To be quite honest, I wasn’t a [...]

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