Indonesia's mass female circumcision ceremonies expose painful tradition and health risks
In Indonesia, toddlers and young girls are subjected to female genital mutilation during large-scale ceremonies organized by religious groups, often performed by traditional healers with knives.
Female genital mutilation remains entrenched in parts of Indonesia, where families bring toddlers like 18-month-old Salsa Djafar to ceremonies that blend celebration with painful surgery. Traditional healers, such as Khadijah Ibrahim, use knives to remove tissue from the clitoral hood, asserting the act wards off sin and mental problems. Large-scale events, organized by groups including the Assalaam Foundation and Wahdah Islamiyah, take place in venues like school classrooms, with parents registering daughters via WhatsApp and receiving modest cash incentives.
Health workers and midwives sometimes assist, while the government focuses on limiting the most dangerous methods rather than banning the practice outright. International bodies estimate that over half of Indonesian girls under 14 have undergone the procedure, highlighting serious human-rights and medical concerns.
Why it matters
The story reveals ongoing human-rights abuses and health dangers for millions of Indonesian girls despite global opposition.
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