00:00The guy used to date me, but if they find that I don't have clitoris, they used to leave me.
00:11Mary Chow's experience echoes that of many FGM survivors who live with both physical and emotional scars.
00:19Beyond pain, the harmful traditional practice often strips women of confidence and intimacy.
00:24But Mary has reclaimed her body and identity through a restorative surgery.
00:30Our team traveled to Kajire, a quiet village in southern Kenya that is still grappling with hidden cases of FGM.
00:38Mary was born here and underwent the practice at just four years old.
00:48Although Kenya's national FGM rate is dropping, communities like this remain vulnerable.
00:53Health workers say practitioners now target infants to avoid detection.
00:59The UN Population Fund estimates that most FGM cases occur among girls below 10.
01:06Growing up, Chow kept her pain to herself. It followed her quietly into adulthood.
01:11Today, her story is one of healing and empowerment.
01:27My daughter told me that it's 50-50. You can return the clitoral and it's 50-50 that it can work, it can be sensitive, and sometimes it will not be sensitive.
01:38But in my part, it was very successful. I feel like a woman now. It's very sensitive. I feel good. I don't regret about it. I'm very, very happy.
01:49Chow underwent her clitoral restorative surgery in Germany.
01:55This medical procedure, designed to reconstruct clitoral tissue that was damaged, is currently available in Kenya.
02:02Dr. Arib Chowdhury has performed over 100 such procedures in Kenya.
02:06Now, what we do is we bring forth this part of the clitoris. It's a bit raw, and we have a ligament here called the suspensory ligament of the clitoris.
02:16So, once you release that and bring this forth, you get what we call restoration of the clitoris.
02:22Where we have infibulation, that is whereby they suture both sides together, we have to do what is called de-infibulation, which is just basically opening up the area.
02:31For many, the decision is about more than pleasure. It's reclaiming dignity, healing pain, and restoring identity.
02:42Back in Kajire, Mary gathers women and girls to talk openly about FGM and clitoral surgery whenever she is home.
02:50Among those she has inspired is Josephine Manangi, who was once a traditional cutter.
02:56Manangi regrets having subjected many girls to the practice of cutting.
02:59She blames it on adherence to harmful tradition.
03:04While not every survivor seeks surgery, many are taking back the power to define their womanhood,
03:24whether through activism, therapy, or simply the right to talk about their pain.
Comments