March 13, 2010
By Women in the World
Marietou Diarra, a Senegalese woman, closed the panel with a powerful story of what her society calls "the tradition." She spoke in her native language of Wolof, translated by Melching. After a string of tragedies, Diarra's family and in-laws banded together to reject the procedure. Her entire village followed suit. She eventually helped to convince over 40 neighboring villages—through education and community deliberation—to abandon genital cutting.
