Female Circumcision Research Paper

Females as a general population have been faced with discrimination across the ages. In recent history, women have begun to assert their freedom and independence from the male oriented traditions that have spanned generations. In industrialized countries the discrimination of women has diminished, but a serious form of violation of human rights occurs sometimes in parts of the world, such as Africa, the Middle East, and even sometimes the United States and other industrialized countries in North America and Europe. Female genital mutilation (FGM) is an umbrella term for three subtypes of crimes committed against women as a part of various coming of age rituals for young girls in certain patriarchal communities in Africa, spreading through

In Chapter Thirteen, “Grassroots vs. Treetops” of Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn the act of genital mutilation is discussed. It starts off by giving gory details on genital mutilation, stating that every ten a girl is mutilated. Despite the medical problems surrounding female genital mutilation, it thrived in parts of Africa as a serious problem for young girls. FGM is sometimes described as a female circumcision, it’s cultural significance is to reduce sexual trends and to make the girls more marriageable. However, often these procedures are done with no new medical supplies and are performed with dirty materials leading to infection and sometimes death for girls partaking. A woman in Illinois is doing her best to stop female genital mutilation by working closely with each village and getting to the main source of the problem. Most people were under educated about what was wrong with female genital mutilation, it was a cultural rite of passage. But through working with each individual village, this woman could help ban female genital mutilation is thousands of villages and increased school attendance at the same time.

For class today, we read two brief articles on genital mutilation. In class, we also watched V-Day: Until the Violence Stops. Female genital mutilation is the removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. It is performed with a blade with or without anesthesia. I have been aware of the idea of male circumcision before, but I had honestly never thought about female circumcision before the reading. It shocked me to learn that certain cultures did not want women to have sexual desires. As a teenager growing up I did not know enough about my own body, I could only imagine what it was like to not understand your own body and not understand why your community would want you to have a FGM procedure done. Leyla Hussein explained that she

Throughout history, there has been a controversial argument on whether female genital mutilation should be banned from Africa. Some people describe female genital mutilation or FGM as a violation of women’s rights and others view it as served for a religious purpose having to do with the Islamic holy book, the Qur’an. Female Genital Mutilation is the removal of all or part of the external parts of the female genitalia. There are three different types of FGM; the first type of FGM is the Sunna Circumcision which is the removal of the tip of the clitoris. The second type is Clitoridectomy which is the removal of the entire clitoris and the adjacent labia. The third type is Infibulation which is the removal of the clitoris and the entire labia including the labia majora and minora. After the removal of the entire labia, the joining of the scraped sides are brought together using thorns or catgut, leaving only a small portion open for menstruation and urinating. Africa has the highest rates of FGM being performed. About 100 million women and girls are affected by FGM and at least 3 million girls are at risk undergoing this process every year. FGM is usually carried out by an elderly woman who is paid fees from the family of the girl undergoing this process (P.a.p.-Blog par. 2, 4). Female Genital Mutilation is usually performed on girl between the ages of three and adulthood. According to the UNICEF or United

FGM is a procedure of partial or total removal of the external female genitalia and/or injury to the female genital organs.

The scope of this research is focused only on FGM for among all the kinds/types of mutilation, FGM are the most studied and controversial kind/type of mutilation.

Now that we know little about the mutilation process these females undergoes; let’s ask ourselves “Why would someone ever agree to conduct such procedure on their own will?” If mutilation emphasizes the clear violation of human rights, why is this procedure being implemented in many different countries? Well, this issue is due to different ethical, and moral perspective; one may believe that female mutilation is morally right; while others may think it’s a violation of human rights. Let’s first explore the ethical theories on this

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) or a less ethnocentric term Female Circumcision is a form of violence that is approved by the societies in which it is practiced. About 183 million women have undergone such mutilation. The geographic areas of practice include North-East Africa and parts of the Middle East. Although it is illegal in Canada, it is practiced by immigrants from those areas. For the most part, men do not involve themselves in the practice, and its greatest supporters are women in the communities affected. It

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is commonly referred to as female circumcision. The process of FGM involves altering the clitoris, sometimes removing it partially or entirely. FGM is a social construction practiced by a myriad of countries, although no construction is absolutely universal for every culture. For my multicultural paper am going to discuss in detail, the historical orientation of FGM. Additionally I will compare and contrast the practices of FGM versus the western version of male circumcision through a religious lens.

However, I question such reasoning. Is FGM a human rights violation? I believe it can be, especially in cases in which the practice is done on children and/or forced. And while this may be true in many cases and the masking of this under the guise of maintaining tradition must be addressed by the world community, female circumcision is not always forced and is possible to be performed on a consenting adult for various cultural reasons. This may be a difficult argument to follow in countries such as Djibouti and Egypt, in which the prevalence of FGM reaches close to ninety-eight percent of the female population. However, there are many countries in sub Saharan Africa such as Kenya and Liberia that are closer to fifty percent and many countries with an even smaller percentage of the female population being circumcised , so there is some level of choice in these countries. No matter how unnecessary and barbaric some may see the practice, FGM must be acknowledged as a cultural practice in cases in which it is not forced but rather sought after by a consenting adult, utilizing cultural relativism in recognizing that female circumcision may be an acceptable practice to some people and their culture should not be persecuted unnecessarily by members of the contemporary human rights movement who cannot relate to it for no reason other than that. So the question is asked again, is female genital mutilation a violation of human rights? Only in some cases. For this reason, to

On the other hand, I, personally, do believe that this forced and unnecessary FGM practice is morally wrong. However, objectively speaking, it is not because I have no room to judge another culture’s morals, according to a moral relativist. Female genital mutilation is something that could only be justified morally, in my eyes, in specific situation. Such as if it were a completely sterile, voluntary, and professional practice. Then I

The subject of FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) reminds me of the severity of FGM as well as its ties with culture and religion in Ethiopia - my country of origin. The issue personally affects me because it stirs up very unpleasant memories and thoughts. I remembered my oldest female cousins and neighbors going through this kind of practice twenty years ago. I even remember the women who executed the procedure. Like many of the people who carry out female circumcision, this woman was not medically trained to perform the procedure, nor did she use proper medical equipments and anesthesia. The majority of the people who support female circumcision use their religious and cultural values to explain their support for FGM. However, FGM is a brutal practice that exposes women to extreme pain and possible risk

The cultural practice of female circumcision could endanger their daughter’s future quality of life. The parents knew that it was against the law in Britain, they choose to leave the country and have the procedure done.

Female genital mutilation is a procedure practiced in some cultures that can be done in four different ways all involving total or partial removal of the external genitalia of a female for non-medical reasons (World Health Organization). All forms of FGM can lead to severe pain, bleeding, infections, and sometimes death. These symptoms may increase with the type of FGM performed. In Sierra Leone nine out of ten women have gotten this procedure (Foundation). While researching, I discovered some conflicting views on the practice of FGM that shocked and enlightened me. By informing you on the basics of this practice in Sierra Leone, what anthropologists are finding, and my opinion as well I hope to leave you informed if not enlightened as well.

In certain societies and culture, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a rite of passage and the young girls are aware of the procedure (Nawal, 2008, pp. 135-139). Furthermore, the societies and cultures who partake in this procedure as a rite of passage, religious reasons, so the girls will not be promiscuous before they get married, so the men’s penis does not fall off, and men in certain societies would prefer their wife to be circumcised (Mascia-Lees 2010, pp. 159). Even though certain societies and cultures have their reasoning for performing Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), FGM can cause medical, psychological, and pyscho-sexual consequences (Reyners, 2004, pp. 242-251). According to Reyners (2004) most of the girls and women who had Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) type three conducted, they tend to experience heavily affected reproductive and urological functioning. Furthermore, according to Reyners (2004) also recommended if any woman is pregnant and has had any form of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) done, they should be monitored for their safety as well as the infants.