Argumentative Essay On Female Circumcision

Female circumcision, also known as Female genital mutilation, or female genital cutting is a custom that has sparked controversy among many people belonging to other cultures not accustomed to the practice. Within the argument lay a series of debates surrounding the issue as culture and tradition clash with human rights over whether or not this practice should be allowed. Advocates against the practice draw on the prevalence, perceptions, and reasons for conducting FGM to combat what they believe is a human rights issue.
Female genital mutilation is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as "all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons". The practice is more prevalent in countries with limited health care facilities and limited resources for health research. Current estimates reveal that approximately 100-140 million African women have undergone some form of FGM worldwide. Each year another 3 million are at risk just in Africa. FGM is practiced globally as a result of immigration, but is most prevalent on the continent of Africa. The majority of cases are recorded to be within a group of twenty-eight African countries. In countries such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan rates reach as right as ninety-eight of the female population. Its prevalence has been estimated at 61% in Lower Egypt and 97% in Upper Egypt. (El-Gibaly)
The reasons for the process of female gentile mutilation lay in a myriad of cultural, social and religious matters. Social acceptance is the most frequently cited reason for supporting the continuation of the practice as many women feel a social pressure to conform to traditional African p...

... middle of paper ...

...sued a public statement, endorsed by 500 doctors, declaring their opposition to the attempted repeals. The UNICEF-European Union programme on FGM/C, which began in 2008, concluded. During that period, 17,772 families of girls were at risk commit to abandon FGM. (UNICEF) Current reports seem to indicate a decreasing popularity of FGM in Upper Egypt (El-Gibaly). demonstrating that the reform process is slowing
FGM has become a highly politicized issue in Egypt, reflecting a range of political agendas on the status of women and feminist issues. Human rights advocates and those in the health profession are fighting for Africans to let go of their traditional customs of FGM and realize the harm they are inflicting upon their women. Statistics show that the practice is on decline, but it will continue until the Egyptians begin to reflect as a people on their own accord.