Ugandan Tribe Strives To End Female Genital Cutting

The Sabiny people in east Uganda were once strict adherents to the tradition of female genital cutting as a rite of passage from girls entering womanhood. Today, they are celebrating the same rite of passage with the offering of a symbolic gift. Their turnaround is due to the work of a UN Population Fund sponsored programme called Reach which successfully engaged the village elders in a discussion on the relevance of female genital mutilation to their tradition. The campaign shows how harmful practices can be reduced without compromising the cultural values of the community.