Educational Media Reviews Online

This film documents the efforts of health care workers from a non-government organization (NGO) called Amsopt, in the West African country of Mali to educate villagers on the dangers of female circumcision. Known to some as female genital mutilation, it is a traditional practice in many African countries, and one that is not openly discussed.

Presented with English subtitles, this documentary follows the steps involved in abolishing the practice of female circumcision in the village of Kanida. Through interviews with the villagers, we learn that the young women of the community obey the wishes of the elder women, who obey the wishes of the elder men in the village regarding this practice. With this information, the health care workers can define the obstacles in educating the villagers about the risks of female circumcision and can develop the best strategy with which to achieve effective results. Once this is established, the health care workers, after receiving permission from the village elders to speak with the young girls of the village on the subject of health, can educate the girls on exactly what the circumcision procedure involves and its consequences. The film ends with members of the village speaking about the practice after it is abolished.

This is valuable for an academic library collection because it’s a topic that many Americans are not very familiar with. Although not as graphic as a film of this subject matter could be, explicit photographs of a circumcised woman are shown.

This film would be at home in a social sciences collection with specialties in such areas as African studies, multicultural studies, women’s studies or sociology. A health sciences collection, especially one which focuses on women’s health or reproductive health, would also benefit from this film.