The Feminist Lens: Female Circumcision In Their Culture

In the story written by Frances A. Althaus’s “Female Circumcision: Rite of Passage or Violation of Rights? She explores female circumcision within African Culture and the health complications after the ritual is completed. Female circumcision is the practice of partial or total removal of the female external vaginal area and is still practiced in several countries today , dut was ruled as illegal in America in 1997. Females did not have the option to chose if they wanted to have the procedure performed, mothers often made that decision for them. The practice is to transition a girl into womanhood and to ensure that virginity is not lost before marriage, prevention of infidelity and

Thesis: Female Genital Circumcision is a cultural procedure that is performed on young girls for a variety of reasons. Members of this culture chose to continue these traditions because they believe they will gain sociological, health and marriage benefits for their daughters, ensuring these young girls a better future is mandatory.

Female circumcision has been a cultural tradition practiced in different parts of the world for many years in order to secure virginity until marriage. In Africa female genital mutilation tradition is a part of the Muslim culture and parts of the Middle East, for the women to be desirable by her husband. (JPEG) Consequently, girls the ages of 4 through 14 are to endure the severe pains of female circumcision in order to not betray their culture and family beliefs. (Ali, 2016) In the US, the estimated number of females between 15 and 49, who are either at risk of genital mutilation or who have already undergone a procedure, has reached more than 500,000, triple the amount reported in the 1990 national census. (Female genital mutilation in the US tripled in 25 years, 2015) This controversial practice performed on females lead advocates to believe that this is a form of female genital mutilation that must come to an end. (Ali, 2016)

During this procedure all or part of the clitoris is amputated. The second type is referred to as the excision procedure and both the clitoris and the labia minora are removed. The third type is what most people consider the only type of female circumcision called the infibulation. This procedure is the most dangerous of the three. After the clitoris, the labia minora, and the labia majora are cut or scrapped away to create a raw surface then the remaining surface is stitched together or held together until it heals. The wound heals when the scar tissue joins the labia and covers the uretha. Once completely healed all that is left is a very small passage for the female to urina and have her menstrual cycles through.

The purpose and meaning of female circumcision are related to specific cultural understandings of identity, personhood, morality, adulthood, gender, bodily aesthetics, and other important issues. In the Sudan, for instance, female circumcision is seen as enhancing a woman's purity, cleanliness, and beauty. For the Kikuyu people of Kenya, circumcision was the foundation of moral self-mastery for women and men alike, performed as part of initiation into adulthood(Hosken.)

In Cultural Diversity around the world “Female Circumcision” is a global violence against women. According to Essential of Sociology text book “female circumcision surgery occurs seven to ten days after birth, but in others it is not performed by girls reach adolescence. Among most groups, it takes place between the ages of 4 and 8” (285). The textbook also stated about 140 million females have been circumcised in worldwide. This practice obtains on diverse shapes in different cultures. These methods would carry clinched alongside the majority condition without any structure of modern medical technology. There are women who demand that the culture continue. Others claim it is a structure from claiming custom torment to reduce female

1. Female circumcision is the removal of all or part of a female’s genitals (Berman & Cannon, 2004). It is difficult to evaluate morality. Objectivism says that moral judgments are true for everyone, while cultural relativism says it depends on ones culture (Vaughn, 2016). Female circumcision is used to prevent illegitimate children (Berman & Cannon, 2004). However, the surgery is done at a young age, does not use correct medical procedures and causes major health problems (Berman & Cannon, 2004). For these reasons, female circumcision is not morally permissible.

Countless young girls and women from Middle Eastern countries are well acquainted with the outdated culture and tradition of female genital mutilation or cutting. Most are so young when the procedure is performed they lack a clear understanding of their culture or the gynecological complications that will follow them into adulthood. Female circumcision, female genital mutilation (FGM), and/or cutting is practised in over 25 countries located in the most rustic areas of eastern, north-eastern, and western parts

As one would expect, there are many social issues and problems that are presently raising issues within this day and age. As well, there are many social problems and cases of phenomenon that have occurred much before this current time period. These issues, in some cases, have had harmful effects that are still visible to this day. These problems, while all being important, carry their own sort of significance in regards to the people in which were involved with this social issue or problem. In this case, the social issue of female circumcision as a ritual and/or custom is one that has had an incredible amount of backlash and negativity surrounding it. This is important for many reasons. To begin, many people have come to view this ritual as harmful, degrading and something that should not be done anymore. Most of these critical comments stem from people whom are not apart of culture who practice female circumcision, as it is something that is unfamiliar and unnecessary. But if informants, or people who live within a culture or group that practices this ritual were asked their opinions, it is obvious that their ideas

In today's society there are several ancestral rituals that are still carry out and many of them affect the natural development of individuals and their behaviour. An example of these rituals is female genital mutilation, which according to the World Health Organization (WHO) the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) consists of procedures to remove total or partially the female genitalia for non-medical reasons and it has been practiced for several thousands years. FGM is considered a cultural and religious tradition and specific groups in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East practice it; and according with the UNICEF and WHO statistics, these countries concentred more than 80% of the total circumcised women. FGM needs to be eliminated because is

In thirty countries, concentrated mainly in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, “More than 200 million girls and women alive today have been cut...” in a practice widely known as female genital mutilation or FGM. (Female Genital Mutilation) FGM can be classified into three major types. The first includes the partial of full removal of the clitoris and, in very rare cases, they will just cut off the clitoral hood. The second entails removal of part or the entire clitoris, and the labia minora. This also sometimes includes removal of the labia majora. The third major type of this horrid practice is the most cruel. Someone will cut the labia minora or majora on both sides and will then go on to stitch them together, creating a cover over

This leads to what female circumcision actually is. Female circumcision or genital mutilation, is an aggregate removing of the outside female genitalia for nonmedical reasons. It has been practiced for a considerable length of time in parts of Africa particularly in Somalia, as an element of a rite of passage preparing young girls for womanhood and marriage. Female genital mutilation can cause extreme bleeding,

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.

Normally, female circumcision (also known as female genital mutilation) is not the topic of discussion most people would talk about, but for once it should be. Female circumcision is the cutting or removal of parts or maybe even all of the female genital region. This can take place during a wide range starting from when a baby girl is first brought into this world all the way until puberty. The genital mutilation can be performed by an elderly woman in the village or if the family is wealthy, the surgery can be done by a professional doctor. After the painful surgery, a ritual is held to honor the young girl for her “rite of passage”. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “there are four main types: clitoridectomy, excision, infibulation,

This mutilation is a historical and cultural practice that is deeply-rooted in the Malian culture. The practice is part of the Malian rite of passage, that marks a young girl 's transition from childhood to adult life. However ,this issue compromises and violates women 's rights.