At Risk of Mutilation

Can a woman win asylum for fear of circumcision in her home country?

In the land to which Lydia Oluloro has been ordered to return, little girls are mutilated. It doesn't matter whether they are rich or poor, educated or illiterate. It can happen in their infancy or in their teens. The age varies among ethnic groups, as does the degree of pain. In some African countries, it is only a piece of the clitoris that is cut off. In others, the labia minora are sliced away. Natural protuberances are viewed as ugly, the unchaste accoutrements of prostitutes. Elsewhere, the entire outer genitalia are removed and the two sides of the vulva sutured together...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!