She was told- "It won't hurt" & Then what happened? Africa's Terrible Dimi Tradition

This happens in remote villages and even in crowded cities.

It happens in silence, and this is female circumcision.

They cut off the clitoris of their daughters.

Among the Desinish people in southern Ethiopia, female genital mutilation is part of an ancient ritual, and this ceremony is called the Dimi ceremony.

A girl who has not completed this Dimi ceremony is not accepted as a wife.

According to this community, if this ceremony is not carried out properly, our lineage will be destroyed.

Some, especially some anthropologists, call it cultural heritage.

Doctors and human rights activists call it violence.

Female genital mutilation, or FGM, is a practice that casts a dark shadow on the lives of millions of girls around the world.

Now the question is whether this practice should be maintained or stopped.

Now, we will learn about the Dimi ceremony.

We will hear more about the role of FGM in Tanzanian society from the stories of girls who have gone through this ordeal.

In the Dasir tribe in southern Ethiopia, a special ceremony is held every few years.

Families gather and dance.

Animals are brought to be sacrificed.

This ceremony is called Dimi.

If she refuses, I will make her agree.

Without Dimi, our family will be destroyed.

Not doing this is completely unacceptable in our culture.

But not everyone is dancing with joy.

When the ceremony begins, some teenage girls are quietly taken away.

Their mothers hold their hands tightly.

Older women stand around them.

These girls are not preparing for the ceremony.

They are preparing for the event.

Their clitoris or sometimes more will be cut off with a sharp knife.

There is no anesthesia or consent.

Some bleed for hours.

Many carry this pain for the rest of their lives.

This is female genital mutilation, F gene.

We will show you some of the unknown and global practices of the Dimi ceremony.

Many have never seen it before.

But before that, you need to know what FGM is and why it is still happening.

Understanding FGM will help you understand this practice.

Female genital mutilation, or FGM, is the partial or complete removal of the external genitalia of girls.

There is no medical reason behind it.

It is not a treatment.

It is not mandated by any major religion.

Yet this practice is carried out on more than 3 million girls every year in more than 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia.

The World Health Organization, WHO, has divided FGM into four main types.

Type 1 is the removal of only the clitoris or clitoral hood.

Type 2 is the removal of the clitoris and the labia minora, which are the soft parts inside the vagina.

Type 3 is the most severe form, in which the outer lips of the vagina are cut and sewn shut, leaving only a small opening for urination and menstruation.

Type 4: all other harmful methods such as piercing or burning.

This group usually uses Type 2.

a permanent and extremely painful procedure that is performed on girls between the ages of 8 and 15.

It is believed that this prepares them for marriage.

It protects family honor and preserves ancient customs.

But behind this belief lies a deep silence.

And many girls suffer long-lasting pain.

Female genital mutilation is not a religious act.

It is a permanent scar.

A girl's clitoris is then cut off.

A part of her body is then cut off that she never intended to lose.

Sometimes more parts are cut off, such as the labia or the soft skin inside the vagina.

It all depends on the method used.

The World Health Organization, WHO, UNICEF, and countless doctors around the world have declared FGM a human rights violation and a serious health risk that causes long-term physical trauma, psychological harm, and in many cases, death.

Experts agree that FGM has no medical benefits.

Yet in many societies, it is still considered a necessary ritual, a preparation for marriage, a way to purify a girl, and so the practice continues to be practiced in silence.

We will return to the Dhimi ceremony in a moment.

We will see how this practice shapes the identity of Dasanesh girls.

But before that, let's hear from the girls themselves about their experiences.

My name is Aisha Kamar.

Now, I live in Washington, D.C., and I am a survivor of female genital mutilation.

My grandmother decided to have me circumcised, but I think it's partly cultural because it happened to him, too.

One day, he took me to get circumcised.

It was excruciating because the pain was so bad.

I can't put into words how horrible it was.

It took a long time to go to the bathroom.

It was so painful to pee.

I didn't want to do it.

Before I knew it, I was screaming.

I could feel a part of my body being cut off, but all I can remember is him saying, You are being very naughty.

Be gentle.

It doesn't hurt.

Then I lost consciousness.

I was subjected to female circumcision.

Then I stayed at home for two weeks.

I was trying to get up.

After those two weeks, life went back to normal the next week.

The Taysinish are an ethnic group that lives in the Oem Valley in southern Ethiopia near the Kenyan border.

They are traditionally pastureless.

They herd cattle, goats, and sheep in the dry.

Open land around the edges of the lake.

Life here is a fierce struggle for survival.

Drought, extreme heat, and changing river courses all determine where families stay and how they move.

This is how they build houses.

If you see a pole like a stick in front of a house, it means there are girls in that house.

In this house, there are three girls.

One big one means that there are two little girls in the house.

Here, practices like FGM or female genital mutilation are not seen as oppression.

Rather, they are considered necessary.

To understand why this cutting practice is still going on, you first need to understand their dhimi ceremony, a world where tradition means everything.

The girls' fathers prepare themselves for the ceremony.

They apply natural colors to their bodies.

They decorate themselves with colors made from red clay, coal tar, and ash.

This is an ancient tradition that has been passed down from father to son for generations.

Even today, it is a symbol of their pride and responsibility.

The ceremony has begun.

But if you understand its deeper meaning, you will understand that it is not just a festival.

It is female genital mutilation, FGM.

Because the only way for a girl to become a woman is to undergo the procedure.

The main purpose is that they should not have any pleasure or feeling during sexual intercourse.

So that she should not get any happiness in physical relations with her husband.

If they do not go through this process, girls are not accepted in society.

It is normal for them.

In our eyes, it may be barbarity.

So understand and accept what we are saying and showing.

This is their culture.

They have accepted it, and this is the truth.

Now everyone is getting ready for the Deemee festival.

The girls are decorating themselves with mud.

They are wearing leopard skin and ostrich feather dresses.

It is time for the opening dance of the Deemee ceremony.

When a girl is born, we know that one day we will celebrate her and bring her into womanhood.

If we don't, our family will have no respect.

This ceremony lasts for days, full of songs, dances, and various traditional rituals.

No, I wouldn't, because this process happens very quickly.

It is done with a knife, just like it used to be done before, just like all the women before us have gone through.

Every woman has to go through this test.

It is a blessing for her life.

When a girl becomes an adult, around fifteen years old or when she starts bleeding for the first time, this ceremony has to be done.

If she doesn't agree, I will explain to her that without Dimi, our family will be destroyed.

No one marries such a woman.

A woman who hasn't been Dimi is not considered a woman.

I could never marry her.

It is an extreme insult.

One day our turn will come.

But now we are just little girls.

Look at them, there is no fear in their eyes.

Yet, while the whole society is intoxicated with the festival, some truth remains hidden.

A cruel secret that reminds us of how complex, how painful this conflict between tradition and change is.

Female genital mutilation is rooted in a deep tradition, yet it causes real harm.

Health experts, human rights organizations, and even many governments agree that FGM should be stopped.

It is a direct attack on girls' health, safety, and bodily freedom.

The practice can cause lifelong physical and mental suffering.

But change is not so easy.

For many in Raasan's family, FGM is still a necessary condition for marriage and social acceptance.

Yet today, new voices are rising.

Local activists, health workers, and even some elders have begun to speak out against the practice.

Educational programs are making people in the village aware, explaining the risks, and showing alternatives.

There will be culture here, but there will be no harm.

Some families are now deciding to protect their girls.

They're saying no more cutting.

Change is happening slowly, but surely.

Tradition is strong, but change is also strong.

Didn't you need to hear the stories of these girls?

Shouldn't we bring them back from this culture?

Do you think practices like FGM will continue in the name of culture, or should they be stopped to protect human rights?