Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act. God will not hold us guiltless. — Dietrich Bonhoeffer
I was sworn to silence after being a victim of female genital mutilation at age 3.
As a young adult, I sensed the need to speak out publicly against this atrocity, but fearing repercussions, I remained silent. Our pastor recently told a story of someone stifled by fear. Her therapist encouraged her to ask herself, “If I were not afraid, what action would I take?”
Renee Bergstrom
For me, courage developed gradually but I had no idea how or where to speak out until one fateful day in 1981. I read two items that provided an action plan: First, African leaders were planning a conference to discuss moving FGM from the bush to medical centers to prevent infections and death. Second, the Women’s Desk of the Lutheran World Federation offered scholarships to women providing education on a human rights issue. I applied with the goal of attending the conference to state that although my genital cutting took place in a medical center, I still experienced many physical and emotional ramifications.
When the African leadership would not allow me to speak at the conference, I again felt silenced and afraid my voice never would be heard. Instead, Lutheran World Federation invited me to spend two weeks in Geneva talking with members of international organizations trying to end FGM. On a weekend, I traveled into the Alps and on the way toured an art gallery in an old castle. At the top of the turret stairs was a door to a patio with a bronze statue that looked like my brother who died 19 years earlier. I felt like God was giving me a hug and took that as a sign that I should continue to denounce FGM.
“Speaking out against evil frees a tightness in one’s soul.”
Speaking out against evil frees a tightness in one’s soul.
I remember the power of that feeling and the confidence it gave me. However, I knew that in my 30s, I was not ready for the task. I returned to school and became a professional educator. Since 2016, I have been sharing my story as doors open with opportunities to do so. A young Somali woman and I produced a brochure to help pregnant infibulated women have a voice in labor and delivery.
Anti-FGM activists from around the world have interviewed me, including one from Russia. Three of them came to my home: a researcher from London, a photojournalist from Helsinki, and a CNN reporter from Atlanta. An excerpt from John Chua’s documentary The Cut was featured in my Guardian story. I was invited to participate in Sahiyo’s first Voices to End FGM/C storytelling workshop in Berkeley. I taught actress Constance Wu to weave in a Los Angeles studio while she interviewed me for the docuseries Unmuted by Without Exception Films.
Last fall, I met with a cohort of dynamic women in New York City at the beginning of our Public Voices Fellowship for Advancing the Rights of Women and Girls with the OpEd Project and Equality Now. When at age 37 I vowed to prepare to be credible enough to someday tell my story, I did not dream that it would become such an amazing adventure.
In 2016, an international goal was set to end FGM worldwide by 2030. I’m afraid we will not reach it, but I and so many others are willing to keep challenging the practice of cutting girls even if it does not end during our lifetimes. There are heroic culturally diverse women dedicated to the cause in countries throughout the world. Many people are surprised to hear that some survivors are white Christian women here in the United States who have as much difficulty standing up to patriarchal domination as do those in Africa and Asia.
“What evil in this world needs your story, your voice to stand against it?”
Dollie Burwell said, “My mother used to always say that God didn’t call us to love justice. God called us to do justice.”
There is so much about which to be concerned today. What evil in this world needs your story, your voice to stand against it? What fear is holding you back? What are your limitations? What is your potential for influencing a positive outcome to a specific oppression?
Whatever doing justice means on your issue, your voice is needed and your soul will rejoice when you overcome the fears that are holding you back. When you are free to respond to your soul’s yearning, an incredible journey may follow.
Know you are not alone. People with similar concerns may come forward when they hear your message just as other white Christian women did with me. Together, you could change the world to be a more just place for all people to thrive. Be brave and let your voice be heard.
A. Renee Bergstrom is a Public Voices Fellow on Advancing the Rights of Women and Girls with the OpEd Project and Equality Now. She holds a doctor of education degree.