'My grandmother subjected my baby to female genital mutilation behind my back'
In Colombia, where FGM is still practised by some members of an indigenous group, a landmark bill banning the practice has been enacted.
**Grandmother Performed FGM on My Baby Without My Knowledge, Says Mother in Colombia**
**Warning: This story contains descriptions of practices involved in female genital mutilation.**
Colombia has made history as the first Latin American nation to outlaw female genital mutilation (FGM), a move hailed as a significant achievement by activists. The unanimous passage of the bill in Colombia's Congress marks the culmination of a prolonged struggle to eradicate this perilous and often clandestine procedure, as reported by José Carlos Cueto.
Carla Quiñonez (not her real name) recounts the harrowing experience of her six-month-old daughter being subjected to FGM by the baby's great-grandmother. Quiñonez states that upon her grandmother's return of the infant, the baby was feverish, swollen, bleeding, and cried incessantly.
"I confronted my grandmother, but she dismissed it as normal and forbade me from telling anyone," Quiñonez shared.
Given the considerable distance to the nearest health center, Quiñonez's mother, a midwife, attempted to alleviate the baby's suffering with medicinal plants. She also challenged Quiñonez's grandmother, but the elder woman remained unyielding.
"She claimed that men ridicule women who possess a clitoris," Quiñonez explained.
Carla Quiñonez, 30, is now an activist dedicated to ending female genital cutting within her Emberá community. FGM involves the partial or complete removal of external female genitalia or other non-medical injuries to these organs. It can lead to severe medical complications, including hemorrhage, infection, and later issues with menstruation and childbirth, as well as hindering sexual pleasure.
The World Health Organization estimates that over 230 million girls and women globally have undergone FGM, primarily in Africa. Quiñonez has been a leading voice in the campaign to eradicate the practice in Colombia, where it persists among members of her Emberá Indigenous community. Her efforts, alongside fellow activists and Colombian congressional members, were instrumental in securing the ban.
Quiñonez revealed that she only gradually comprehended the secret practices within her community as she matured. "I always wondered why more girls than boys seemed to die shortly after birth," she said. "I recall a young cousin whose birth my mother attended. She was born healthy but died three days later. When I inquired, my mother attributed it to 'jai,' an ancestral illness." Quiñonez now believes these deaths were likely due to FGM complications.
Pediatrician Diana Ramos Mosquera advocates for improved medical education regarding FGM. Between 2020 and June 2026, 240 FGM cases were documented in Colombia, with the majority involving girls under six. Dr. Ramos, working at San Jorge University Hospital in Pereira, believes these figures represent merely "the tip of the iceberg." She has observed signs of scarring, burning, and mutilation in girls presenting with other medical conditions.
Dr. Ramos recounted one case where a girl's vaginal opening was sealed shut, necessitating reconstructive surgery to enable future menstruation and sexual intercourse. She views FGM as a form of sexual and gender-based violence with lifelong repercussions, emphasizing the need for education over solely punitive measures. "Some members of these communities genuinely believe they are doing no harm," she noted.
Juliana Domico, legal representative of the Emberá Confederation, was a key proponent of the bill. The Great Emberá Nation, with approximately 300,000 members, is one of Colombia's largest Indigenous communities, with populations also in Ecuador and Panama.
The prevalence of FGM in the Emberá community, in contrast to its rarity elsewhere in Latin America, has led to several theories. One suggests its introduction by enslaved people from African countries, which could explain its concentration in Risaralda, Chocó, and Valle del Cauca—departments with significant Afro-Colombian populations. Another theory posits that the birth of an intersex child centuries ago instilled a fear of the clitoris, leading many older women to believe it would grow into a penis if not removed. Others attribute it to patriarchal beliefs that a woman with an organ associated with sexual pleasure is more prone to promiscuity.
Regardless of its origins, Juliana Domico, chief Indigenous councillor to the National Confederation of the Peoples of the Great Emberá Nation of Colombia, refutes the notion that FGM is a cultural practice. "Our culture is our clothing, our crafts, our dances, and our language, not a practice that kills. Culture does not kill," she asserted. She hopes the new law will translate into public policy with adequate resources for implementation.
Quiñonez, despite advocating for change, has faced threats, particularly from men. While men are traditionally excluded from knowledge of the ritual, discussions about abolishing FGM often involve male leaders because many Emberá women speak only their Indigenous language and not Spanish. This linguistic barrier can also impede women from seeking medical help for their babies, a problem exacerbated by sometimes ill-informed and judgmental health staff.
Quiñonez recounted an incident where a nurse berated her as "a savage" and told her she "got what she deserved" when she brought her daughter to the hospital for a fever caused by a urinary tract infection. "I was even threatened with having my daughter taken away and placed in the care of the child welfare authorities," she said. "Since then, I prefer not to take my daughter to hospital. I treat her with medicinal plants and medication. I never leave her side."
Activists hope the new law will also foster greater education about the harm caused by FGM. Quiñonez observes a shift within the Emberá community, with women now openly discussing the practice. She was moved by a grandmother who reflected on performing FGM on her granddaughters, stating she "had never acted out of malice and had only wanted to prevent men from criticising her granddaughters."
Quiñonez acknowledges the pain involved in discussing a different way of life. "Women who have grown up without a clitoris cannot imagine a different body," she noted. She anticipates a difficult but unavoidable conversation with her own daughter in the future. "All of us deserve to understand our bodies and to talk about them without shame."
*Illustrations by Daniel Arce, from BBC Mundo's Visual Journalism Team.*
*If you've been affected by issues raised in this story, sources of support are available via the BBC Action Line.*