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In the 2006 movie Phat Girlz, written and directed by Nnegest Likke, the character Jazmin
Biltmore (played by Mo’Nique) asked Dr. Tunde (played by Jimmy Jean-Louis), “Do you believe in female circumcision?”
Dr. Tunde said, “…It is practiced in some remote parts of Nigeria…The simple answer is no.” My interest
was piqued; I am from one of those remote parts of Nigeria.
Female circumcision is not a new subject to me; my sister, Juliana Okoh is an avid advocate
against it, and has written several books and a play about it. The scene in the movie hit my consciousness and I became restless.
As a fiction writer I knew I had to write something. I wasn’t sure what to write that hadn’t been written, yet
I was compelled to do it.
My burning desire was to hear from the male perspective. I asked about three dozen men
in the New York area what they thought about it; most importantly, I asked if they’ve had sexual relationships with
a circumcised woman and how the procedure may have affected their sexual fulfillment. After getting over the initial bashfulness
roused by the question, the men gave me an earful. Their answers have been captured through the characters in this book.
Though the practice
is becoming a thing of the past, it is estimated that there are about 130 million women worldwide who have undergone the procedure
in varying forms. The different types and possible after-effects are explored in this writing.
It is my wish
that this book will bring healing and reconciliation for those affected by female circumcision in any form, and also open
up a forum for discussions on sexuality for all gender in physiological, psychological and spiritual contexts.
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