Mashua Against FGM Global Campaign join hands with the women activists of indonensia to say NO TO ANY FORM OF FGM.

In recent years, the law that prohibited the performance of FGM by health professionals has led some communities in Indonesia to continue practicing FGM in secret, for example in their own homes. As a reaction to this development, the Indonesian government revoked its 2006 law and adopted a new regulation that states that mutilation should be performed only my legal medical workers, a decision that sparked anger and disappointment among human rights and women’s rights activists in Indonesia and around the world.

Activists urged Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih to immediately revoke a ministerial regulation on female genital mutilation because it not only legitimizes violence against Indonesian women but also may neglect their abilities to fully exercise their fundamental rights on reproductive health and freedom.

National Commission on Violence against Women (Komnas Perempuan) deputy chairperson Masruchah said Thursday the issuance of Health Minister Regulation No. 1636/2010 on female genital mutilation had tarnished the commitments recently shown by the government in protecting women’s reproductive health and freedom.

“It is so sad to see such a setback as we have achieved some improvements in protecting the rights of our women,” Masruchah told a press conference held by Amnesty International and Indonesian Civil Societies.

As part of commitments to protect rights on reproductive health and freedom, the Health Ministry’s public health directorate general issued in 2006 a circular letter prohibiting professional health workers, including nurses, midwives or physicians, to perform female genital mutilation.In 2006, Indonesia, which has one of the highest rates of female genital mutilation in the world, made the practice of removing the clitoris of newborn babies illegal. In Indonesia, the mutilation is usually performed shortly after the birth of female babies by midwives or other health workers. As a result, the rate of FGM in Indonesia is estimated to be as high as 98 percent.“In Bone, South Sulawesi, followers of Islam who have deep-rooted patriarchal cultures define the female genital mutilation as a total removal of the clitoris. It is very dangerous because it will not only hurt women but also badly affect their reproductive health,” Masruchah said.How can they now permit female genital mutilation, whereas they have previously prohibited such inhumane practices? It is a setback,” said women rights activist Ratna Batara Munti.

The Komnas Perempuan demanded the ministry prohibit FGM altogether.I Lucy Mashua the global ambassador for fighting female genital mutilation and standing up for women rights and speaking from experience I agree this is a major setback and making our efforts as activists useless. any kind of FGM is unacceptable and it's against human rights of women! NO GOVERNMENT,RELIGION,CULTURE OR MAN has the right to sexually enslave a woman by disabling her God given genitals!! Women we don't exist just to give babies,satisfy men sexually...we exist because we are the givers of life and we are human beings!!! We should be treated with respect at all times anywhere in the world.

Ambassador Lucy S. Mashua, President of Mashua Voice for the Voiceless, International
Assisting and advocating for U.S. refugees and women’s rights
Global Ambassador for Ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
Chairperson of the Worldwide Campaign Against FGM
Leading in lobbying for HR 5137: The Girl's Protection Act sponsored by Rep. Joseph Crowley and Rep. Mary Bono Mack.
http://twitter.com/Mashua
http://mashuavoiceforthevoiceless.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mashua-Against-FGM/225406701415

No more warrants to raid female genital mutilation dens the new Anti FGM bill in Kenya states:)I pray it passes.

The police will not be required to have an arrest warrant to enter premises where they suspect female genital mutilation is being carried out.

This is according to a Bill that will prohibit female genital mutilation.

The Bill has been amended to include the establishment of an advisory board on female genital mutilation in preparation for the next stage in Parliament, nominated MP Sophia Abdi Noor said.

Spells out mandate

The proposed law spells out the mandate and roles of board members, among other details that will be discussed by the committee behind the Bill in conjunction with representatives from the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development.

The Bill, moved by Mt Elgon MP Fred Kapondi, has been through the second reading in Parliament and the lawmaker is confident it will sail through Parliament.

“The amendment stage is the easiest part of any Bill,” he said.

The proposed law will criminalise the practice and make those involved in its practice offenders.(I LOVE THIS)

“There are existing laws which touch on it but they have loopholes that expose girls to the process,” Mr Kapondi told an advocacy forum organised by the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association in Nairobi.

The Constitution protects women from harmful cultural practices. Article 27 (4) says no person should be compelled to undergo a cultural practice.(FINALY MY PEOPLE).
Article 55(d) states that the government shall take measures to protect the youth from harmful cultural practices and exploitation.

Section 14 of the Children’s Act of 2001 also protects children from harmful cultural practices.

WHEN WE FIGHT FGM WE DON'T FIGHT A CULTURE OR RELIGION WE FIGHT A CRIME!!

Ambassador Lucy S. Mashua, President of Mashua Voice for the Voiceless, International
Assisting and advocating for U.S. refugees and women’s rights
Global Ambassador for Ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
Chairperson of the Worldwide Campaign Against FGM
Leading in lobbying for HR 5137: The Girl's Protection Act sponsored by Rep. Joseph Crowley and Rep. Mary Bono Mack.
http://twitter.com/Mashua
http://mashuavoiceforthevoiceless.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mashua-Against-FGM/225406701415

Ines Laufer, Simone Schwarz, and followers are permanently banned from Maasai Men Against FGM.

As I have said please be aware of this two women they are not true to the cause of eradicating FGM, they are RACISTS and CYBER BULLIES everything they say they know they don't have facts they are just attention seekers and we EAST AFRICAN /KENYAN community we say they have nothing they do for us only adding insults and slander they have never helped any project in our community and NEVER TRUST THEM THEY TRIED TO SLANDER ME ,SMEAR MY NAME BUT THEY NEVER SUCCEEDED BECAUSE GOOD PEOPLE KNOW LIARS AND SCAMMERS!!! IN MY OWN WORDS LUCY MASHUA
Take a look of this note from another dedicated ANTI FGM GROUP Maasai Men Against Fgm.
Ines Laufer, Simone Scwarz, Roser Lackner and Nora Splite are permanently banned from MMAFGM.
From The Management of the Maasai men Against FGM.
Honorable Members;
It has come to our awareness that a group of ill-meaning individuals have infiltrated our noble cause. These individuals harbor malice intentions to peril our positive campaign for Education against FGM in Maasailand and elsewhere.
These individuals begun their first attacks by intentionally creating chaos, diverging attention from the issues to their personal ideology. Disguised as foot soldiers against FGM, the individuals arrogantly force their way with the Know-it-all attitude dis-respecting the noble cause against FGM, the members and scaring away other potential members who may not join us due to such archaic behaviors projected by these individuals.
Maasai Men Against FGM have observed that Ines Laufer, Simone Scwarz, Roser Lackner and Nora Splite inhibit a twisted view on humanity as reflected by their comments on this cause's page. It's a pity that people whom we banked on are turning to be a threat not only to our dream of an FGM free zone, but the unity of purpose that brought the group together in the first place.

After issuing a first warning to the cheer leader of these individuals, Ines Laufer, she continued to disrespect our cause, spreading rumors with intent to cause havoc and tarnish the good name , our focus and niche against FGM. We found no otherwise than to permanently terminate their membership in this group.
Our intention is to participate as Agents of positive change and development in our society. We very much welcome individuals as well as a diverse spectrum of other actors to discuss with us on the best ways to eradicate FGM. We're learners but we don't encourage bad teachers. We keep off from unqualified guides or people full of hate for Men or other cultures apart from theirs as the MMAFGM has observed in the case. We do not encourage people who think their culture is superior than any other! We detest racist and ethnicists, people who use racial or ethnic cultural or biological diversity to oppress, undermine or in anyway, dis-respect others.
This group was initiated for the LOVE of our fellow women human beings. We LOVE our women, our daughters our nieces. We belief in the notion that all human beings are created equal. Regardless of their gender, color of their skin, their ethnic belonging, religion or ideological background. We belief that no culture is superior than any other. All cultures have flaws. They're dynamic and flexible. Maasai culture has a lot of bad parts just as the culture that led Hitler and the Nazi Germany to commit a genocide against the Jews for example. Maasai culture is changing to the better, just as the Nazi Germany is washed away and Germany is now one of the best countries to live in. We do not use the genocide history against the present German children. Equally, we find it twisted that someone uses the bad part of our culture against us, even when we've initiated a page for such required reforms.

We as a group knows that Education creates a foundation for open mind, wider perspective and provision of a diversity of alternatives of livelihood and tolerance. Ines Laufer and her disciples should have been a good example for open mindedness.
Our expanded indigenous moral boundaries supports us to embrace the best parts of other cultures as we share the best of our culture with those around us. We do not shy away from learning and we can also be very good teachers. BUT, we dis-like people who fist down their twisted ideologies into out throats. We do not just dis-like these kind of people, but we cut them off from anything to do with us, our people and our ways of life! We say, we do not want their help! Let them take it back to where they come from and leave us alone to solve our own problems.
The Enkishui E Maa taught us to keep focus, to switch off noise as we concentrate on our niche against FGM. Our niche against FGM is education and good morals promoted with love in a humble environment. Meeli Maa repeatedly advised Ines Laufer to focus on issues, be tolerant to other views and keep an open mind.
The writer applied all diplomatic means to keep Ines Laufer in the group even after receiving calls from concerned members who felt they were repelled by Ines' presence. The writer have seen Ines slashing our members and contributors immediately someone mentions EDUCATION as the most effective way against FGM. Ines Laufer even thought that those promoting education lacks empathy for what she calls “slaves of men from the mutilating communities” Every individual in this group mentions education as the most effective means of empowerment not only for the girl-child, but also for the boy-child and the adult in societies where FGM/C is practiced. Thuku, Mwirichia and 181 other members mentioned Empowerment with Enlightenment as a Ines Laufer and her followers trash it as nonsense. Members in this group who originates from societies where FGM/C is practiced have all vowed to protect their sisters against the cut. They are empowered and can retain their ethnic identity but without cutting their girls, or marrying them off too early. They'll let them choose men of their own choice. They'll let them own the right to their own bodies. This is the attitude the Maasai Men are promoting. This is the true empowerment education and good morals provides us with.
Ines believes that there is no need for dialogue, that the “mutilating societies should all be imprisoned”. The writer mentioned to Ines that it may not be practical to build prisons for about 3 million Kenyan Maasai, the same in Tanzania, the Kisii, Pokot, Nandi, parts of Kikuyu, Somalis of Kenya Tanzania and Somalia not to mention the majority of the Islamic world.

Enlightenment brought diverse ways of seeing the world to the West. It does to Africa too. But for Ines Laufer and her disciples, Africans do not deserve to benefit from education because it has now proven not to work for them according to the research papers she claims to be highly reliable. Ines does not believe in dialogue, she wants to drop cluster bombs on “mutilating societies in Africa and Islamic world” to force them drop FGM. She wants to keep them away from education because education according to her, is a waste of time, money and energy. Ines ideology and perception is exactly the opposite of what this group believes in. This are therefore the few reasons the management could provide for the permanent banning of Ines Laufer, Simone Scwarz, Roser Lackner and Nora Splite.
To our noble members, Education is the foundation for positive change and development and a sure way to eradicating FGM in Maasailand! As the Ilaikipiak Lamayio says, Give us wings! Talk to us.

EDUCATION IS A VITAL INGREDIENT TO THE ELIMINATION OF FGM.
Ambassador Lucy S. Mashua, President of Mashua Voice for the Voiceless, International
Assisting and advocating for U.S. refugees and women’s rights
Global Ambassador for Ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
Chairperson of the Worldwide Campaign Against FGM
Leading in lobbying for HR 5137: The Girl's Protection Act sponsored by Rep. Joseph Crowley and Rep. Mary Bono Mack.
http://twitter.com/Mashua
http://mashuavoiceforthevoiceless.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mashua-Against-FGM/225406701415

The only Radio dedicated to End FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION hosted by a survivor of FGM.

Listen to internet radio with Mashua voice for the on Blog Talk Radio

A Kenyan member of Parliament moved the house to tears as she narrates her own horrifying FGM experience.

Never before in the history of the august House had a member used her life experience to move debate as Ms Sophia Abdi did when supporting Bill to outlaw female genital mutilation.
Everyone believed it was a Islamic religious obligation to undergo the torture, and the conviction was that a woman who was not mutilated was unclean and not fit for marriage.
It was also believed that God could not hear prayers of an unmutilated woman. The MP was brought up to believe it was an Islamic religious rite.
Nominated MP Sophia Abdi Noor tends to speak forcefully on most issues she is concerned about. But when she rose to contribute on the Bill to outlaw female genital mutilation in Parliament last week, her voice dropped as the House went silent.
It was perhaps the first time an MP was giving a deeply personal story which contributing to debate.
FGM, said Sophia, was the cause of a harrowing experience during menstruation, her first sexual experience, and the eventual childbirth.
This, she said, is the driving force behind her passionate fight against the practice, which Parliament now seeks to outlaw with the Bill sponsored by Mt Elgon MP Fred Kapondi.
She was barely eight years old when together with seven of her agemates, she was handed over to a traditional circumciser who took them through the painful process of FGM. It has been many years since, and she has accomplished so much in life, but the incident remains fresh in her mind.
The old woman who took them through the process was going blind, she says, and three of the eight who underwent FGM died due to excessive bleeding. One of them was her very close friend.
Luckily for her, the bleeding was not too much and she had a saviour at hand. Her father, who was a policeman, took her to a hospital in Garissa using a police Land Rover.
Completely changed
She was in hospital for a week and underwent a transfusion of four pints of blood. After she left the hospital, her life completely changed and her mother was also affected as she felt guilty for ‘blessing’ her daughter to undergo the rite.
The beginning of her complications was her first menstrual period, which was slow as the opening of her vagina was small, restricting the flow and her period lasted up to seven days. This would mean missing classes for the whole period and she would often lag behind in class.
Sophia does not remember her wedding day as the happy occasion it usually is for most people.
“It was a night I literally don’t want to remember,” she said. Her husband was equally affected due to the frustrations they encountered trying to consummate their union.(HAVE SEX)
It took them three days before her husband could open up to friends about their frustrations of being unable to consummate their marriage.
“I was completely closed and we could not even share with our mothers who kept checking our bedsheets for blood (a custom to make sure you were completely shut only to be reopened the first night of marriage parents had to see blood to confirm FGM worked:(). They got worried and asked the very young couples of our age to come and find out what the problem was,” she recalls.

More problems
She was later taken to hospital for an operation although the eventual consummation was still difficult because of the wound from the operation.
She would also have problems later as she gave birth to her first child, a baby boy. She had prolonged labour for four days and she could not undergo a Caesarean section because the child had already moved to exit position. The baby had to be removed by a vacuum, slightly injuring his head.
Ms Noor says it is this experience of her life that propelled her to launch anti-FGM campaigns.
“So many girls have died out of this, there is no documentation because this is done in secret, but this is killing and that is why I am talking about it,” she said.I Lucy Mashua I can testify under oath that this is 100% true:(
She said it’s a very painful psychological experience. with some dying and that “there is no homestead that has no sad story arising from FGM,” says Ms Noor.
She explains that as a child from a pastoralist community, FGM was a compulsory rite.
“It was not a matter of consultation, it was even a taboo to talk about i. It was a very strong belief,” she says. (YOU CAN IMAGINE WHAT HAPPENS TO SOMEONE WHO SPEAKS AND SACRIFICE HER LIFE AS AN FGM ACTIVIST.)
Everyone believed it was a religious obligation to undergo the rite, and the conviction was that a woman who was not mutilated was unclean and not fit for marriage.
It was also believed that God could not hear prayers of an unmutilated woman. But the MP does not blame her mother for the ordeal. She understands too well that like many other women in her community, she was brought up to believe it was a religious rite.
Going through the process meant cleansing daughters for marriage. “No one wanted their daughter to be a ‘haram’(Arabic) for unfit for marriage,” she explains.
A part from the belief that mutilating the girl made her clean, it was also believed that the process protected her virginity.
“Once taken to her husband, he would know that she had been properly taken care of,” the MP explains. The third reason for FGM is that the community was scared of girls who were not mutilated, easily branding them prostitutes.
This is because it was believed not going through FGM left a woman sensitive sexually hence could easily turn to prostitution.
My parting shot
O.M.G we undergo all these to satisfy a man's world? purely hidden in pretense of culture and religion? FGM is a crime against women and all the perpetrators should be locked up! as a victim myself at the age of 9 I can totally relate to Ms Noor. I can not say male circumcision is equal to FGM there is no comparison!! with the number of over 200 girls bleeding to death everyday , you can imagine if in one homestead (Boma) 8 girls bled to death one morning how under reported is FGM deaths? The mutilators are sometimes murderers, and deserve prison for torturing killing girls. This sounds like an exaggeration, but death occurs sometimes years later for slow infections, childbirth, and lifelong illness. Working with immigrants everyday this happens everyday and with our girls protection bill currently to be reintroduced to congress doctors can be of very much help to catching this mutilators, USA believes in human rights and if you want to live freely in united states you need to not violate any human rights!!!
Ambassador Lucy S. Mashua, President of Mashua Voice for the Voiceless, International
Assisting and advocating for U.S. refugees and women’s rights
Global Ambassador for Ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
Chairperson of the Worldwide Campaign Against FGM
Leading in lobbying for HR 5137: The Girl's Protection Act sponsored by Rep. Joseph Crowley and Rep. Mary Bono Mack.
http://twitter.com/Mashua
http://mashuavoiceforthevoiceless.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mashua-Against-FGM/225406701415

Germany organisation exposed for using FGM activist Marie Nareku as a plat form. be aware of,Simone Shwartz,Ines Laufer

This organisation - looking so innocent and solid and heart warming - is nothing more than a big scam and shame!! Founders accusing real victims of FGM of lying about their suffering, lying about being raped, lying about having families, children, and actively works to put those people in harms way!! Never trust them, never join them, and spread the word - they must be stopped. Name and shame!!
It is such individuals that make our work to fight against FGM difficult, if confronted they will just slander you and discriminate you. They attacked me personally by using my story to mock me and my children, and as a survivor of FGM I felt discriminated on. if anyone can use your pain, your children to try to bring you down while they claim they are against FGM they are no good.
They did this after I told them I would let them use my painful experience and my children for their own hidden agendas before I could say anything officially they went online and called me a fraud. come on this people who I met once now think they know me? anyway I had a great support system from friends and families who called this unintelligent silly joke:). Anyway I filed a formal complain after I contacted my local FBI office . Thank you for all of you who have stood by me since then. here is their latest Kenyan activist targeted prey asking them to stop using her name to make their organisation look legit .http://with-heart-against-fgm.com/tabu-e-v/resignation-of-marie-nareku-as-patron-of-the-task-force/
Ambassador Lucy S. Mashua, President of Mashua Voice for the Voiceless, International
Assisting and advocating for U.S. refugees and women’s rights
Global Ambassador for Ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
Chairperson of the Worldwide Campaign Against FGM
Leading in lobbying for HR 5137: The Girl's Protection Act sponsored by Rep. Joseph Crowley and Rep. Mary Bono Mack.
http://twitter.com/Mashua
http://mashuavoiceforthevoiceless.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mashua-Against-FGM/225406701415

After the silly untruthful attacks from the Germany organisation made of two people my sister Linda May wrote this on my behalf.

This organisation in Germany made of two angry women Simone schwarz,Ines Laufer ,their only work is to look for African victims to use their name to get fame and donations as they tried to use me and when I said no they went ahead and slandered me Lucy Mashua I only met this people once they claim to have given me 500$ to use for my children,but guess what Simone schwarz donated 0$, Ines Laufer sent me 150$ the rest was from their friends, WHEN I REALISED THEY WANTED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MY PAIN AND SAY THEY ARE THE ONES WHO HELPED BRING MY CHILDREN...WHILE I HAVE WORKED HARD WITH THE HELP OF FAITHFUL FRIENDS FOR 4 YEARS TO BRING MY CHILDREN HERE, WITH A BUDGET OF OVER 20,000 DOLLARS ,I WIRED THEIR 500 HUNDRED BACK AND 0$ TO SIMONE SCHWARZ WHO NEVER GAVE ANYTHING.SO DON'T BE LIED TO , TRUE EYES REALIZES TRUE LIES AND LIARS LIKE SIMONE SCHWARZ AND INES LAUFER OF "TASK FORCE FGM".
! now they have been lying and using Marie Nareku from Kenya as working with them but she said no!it is all about victimizing the victims, and attacking and slandering people who are working towards eradication of FGM, it is a big shame for everyone working honestly, humanly, ethically, and empathic with this issue. Makes me both sad and angry that they use and abuse people, survivors, for their own dirty agendas.
Many thanks to my sister and friend Linda May Kallestein for standing with me then and now. and not forgetting my faithful fans on facebook and twitter.
http://www.lindamaykallestein.com/Linda_May_Kallestein/Blog/Entries/2010/2/20_Lucy_is_Reunited_with_her_Children!!.html

Ambassador Lucy S. Mashua, President of Mashua Voice for the Voiceless, International
Assisting and advocating for U.S. refugees and women’s rights
Global Ambassador for Ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
Chairperson of the Worldwide Campaign Against FGM
Leading in lobbying for HR 5137: The Girl's Protection Act sponsored by Rep. Joseph Crowley and Rep. Mary Bono Mack.
http://twitter.com/Mashua
http://mashuavoiceforthevoiceless.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mashua-Against-FGM/225406701415