KOROMOUSSO: Big Sister

With candor, humour and courage, the main characters in KOROMOUSSO: Big Sister challenge cultural taboos surrounding female sexuality and fight to take back ownership of their bodies. In their quest for individual and collective healing, these radiant, endearing women support each other on a journey that allows them to overcome the trauma of female genital mutilation and rebuild their self-esteem. Speaking for themselves and on their own behalf, they oppose social control of their bodies, inspiring an entire generation of young Canadians and immigrants. “I want the missing piece of me back. I want to be an accomplished woman, a complete woman,” confides Safieta, determined to begin the restorative process undertaken by the film’s co-director, Habibata Ouarme, in 2013.

According to UNICEF, at least 200 million girls and women aged 15 to 49 from 31 countries have been subjected to FGM. Today, many of these women live in Canada, where although the practice is banned, reconstructive surgery is not offered. By interweaving personal accounts of victims of FGM and Habibata’s own journey, KOROMOUSSO: Big Sister explores the phenomenon of FGM as experienced by African immigrant women in Quebec.

Taking a collaborative, inclusive approach and demonstrating immense cultural sensitivity, Habibata and co-director Jim Donovan also examine the shame that can be felt by women subjected to FGM, both socially and when engaging with the Western medical system, which is largely unresponsive to their experience. While attitudes in Africa are slowly changing, the film shows that if all Canadian women are to have access to equitable sexuality, more education is needed within the Quebec and Canadian healthcare system—a task that may well be initiated by these brave sisters in struggle.