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An essay on how female circumcision should come to an end
An essay on how female circumcision should come to an end
Research paper on female circumcision
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Female circumcision (sometimes known as Female Genital Mutilation or female genital cutting) has been exercised in many different forms, in many different countries, for a long period of time. Female circumcision is defined as an operation performed to the female genital area that causes harm and changes the organ for no medical reason. Cultural, religious, and social factors are the main causes to FGM, and is mostly practiced on female infants up to the age of 15. This procedure does not benefit any female’s health whatsoever. The majority of people who practice female circumcision are those living in Africa. Coming from an African culture, where people participate in harsh practices such as female circumcision is a huge issue that needs to …show more content…
Furthermore, female genital cutting can alter a women’s physical and mental being. Severe complications amongst women and adolescent females in Africa have become very common; especially since they undergo every form of circumcision with out proper medical attention. Consequences resulting from female circumcision can be determined as soon as the procedure is done. The African Women Organization asserts that “Female genital mutilation has detrimental effects on the physical and psychological health of the infants, girl-children, and women operated.” Taking this into consideration, one will realize that because female circumcision is such a harsh measure in a …show more content…
As mentioned previously, female circumcision can cause women to have long term problems. Due to the complications women face, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights have mentioned that the practice of female genital cutting should be laid to rest. After analyzing and researching the practice of this harmful operation, there has been “growing international support for condemning FGC and a call for severe penalties given to those who practice it” (Female Genital Mutilation). Given these points and given the harmful experiences women and adolescent females go through, a variety of people have come to a realization that this practice should be banned. An abundance of people would like to argue that women and youths should not have to go through such horrific involvement. Those who practice female circumcision are short sited to the problems that this procedure can cause. Living a life as a female in an African society means not having the authority to choose whether or not to be circumcised. To put it another way, females are stripped from having a say so to what happens to their own bodies. According to Gruenbaum, “It should not be too surprising that external condemnations of female circumcision . . . might be similarity criticized as being unjustified and offensive.” To put it another way, the author is saying that because a variety of people do not appeal to female genital
In Althaus’ article, she provides in-depth information about female circumcision; a highly controversial cultural ritual that is practiced in at least 28 countries
Female genital mutilation is mostly practiced in Islamic and African cultures, claiming young girls as t...
This is a case study regarding a family in Senegal that follows the Muslim culture. However, unlike most Muslims, they practice the form of female circumcision. The tradition is to have all girls coming of age to be circumcised; otherwise they would be shunned and would never be able to get a husband. The family’s tradition believes that if a girl does not have this procedure done, they will be considered deformed and their clitoris will hang down to their knees. Awa is concerned because she and her husband, Joseph, have two daughters who are coming of age and her mother-in-law is demanding to know why they have not made the arrangements for the girls’ circumcision. Awa’s dilemma is whether or
The women in Nampossela lack the social and economic rights to make many significant decisions about their life. Due to her simultaneous position as an outsider and a member of the group, Holloway becomes an unbiased outlet that Monique and other woman can speak with regarding their difficulties. One such difficulty amongst women in Mali that Holloway discovered was female circumcision. Holloway, prior to her visit to Mali, was aware of the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in rural villages. However, the intense birth of Korotun’s daughter causes Holloway to question the reasoning behind the traditional cutting. In response to Holloway’s mention of FGM, Monique explains her painful experience of circumcision at nine or ten and her thoughts on the subject, “Here we say that koloboli helps girls become good wives and bear children…it does not help the baby pass through…”(114). The practice of FGM in Mali occurs often enough that Monique had never met an uncut woman prior to Holloway, whose western background does not practice FGM.
Female genital mutilation (also known as female circumcision) is the cutting of female clitoral hood and removing clitoris. Following the cutting of female genital organ, there are many short-term and long-term health risk problems, and even death due to some complicated infections. The reasons for performing female genital mutilation are connected with socio-cultural beliefs, attitudes, values and customs, transition of girls into womanhood, tradition and cultural heritage, the fear of not having access to resources and opportunities as a young woman, perception to reduce sexual desire of females; hence, will sustain premarital virginity, and maintain marital fidelity. Actions have taken at international, national and regional levels since the past many years and have begun to bear fruits, but the practice is still undergoing in many countries in the world and highly prevalent in Africa. To continue and motivate further reduction in changing the society’s attitudes towards female genital mutilation in the countries where the prevalence has remained stable so it’s therefor...
Routine infant circumcision (RIC) is a common, normalized procedure on male infants in the United States of America. Many new parents do not question circumcision, they consent to the procedure without doing much research because they believe it is a necessary procedure for cleanliness. The doctors and nurses that care for new parents and infants offer little to no counsel on circumcision, there is no risk vs. benefits explanation offered. Thus, many parents choose circumcision for their male infants without realizing that it actually isn't necessary and can often times be detrimental. It's misconceptions like these that fuel the normilization of circumcision.
In the Maasai society, genital cutting is a rite of passage from childhood to adulthood, and both men and women go through the process of circumcision. As society ages, opinions on cultural norms change. This is true for the Maasai society, where the views on female circumcision have and are changing. Female circumcision is classified into three categories, and defined by the World Health Organization, Type I is the removal of the foreskin on the vagina, Type II is the removal of the clitoris, and Type III is the removal of all external genitalia with the stitching or narrowing of the vaginal opening (“New Study”). Traditionally in the Maasai society, women underwent Type II or Type III circumcision. Written in 1988, “The Initiation of a Maasai Warrior,” by Tepilit Ole Saitoi, and is an autobiographical story of Saitoti’s circumcision in his initiation to a warrior. Though his story mainly focuses on the male circumcision part of the Maasai society, women’s circumcision and other basic traditions are discussed. Throughout the short story, the topic of circumcision and the rite of passage, both long- standing traditions in the Maasai society, are central themes.
Today, 85 to 114 million girls and women in more than 30 countries have been subjected to FGM. Female genital mutilation has long been performed to ensure chaste or monogamous behaviour by suppressing female sexuality. It is commonly -- although erroneously -- attributed to religious edict. In fact, neither Islam nor Christianity officially sanctions it.
Many question whether female circumcision (FGM, genital cutting, etc.) is a form of abuse, is it a humane and morally acceptable practice and how can we fix this horrendous practice? These assumptive thoughts are typically made through the eyes of outsiders, female circumcision is many things and must be looked at through such a lens. Despite, all of this female circumcision is still framed very commonly between these three views, female circumcision is abuse, is a result of patriarchal societies, and is a cultural and religious practice.
What a society deems a normal natural way of life, other cultures may view it as a violation of ones natural born rights. Some societies’ view the female anatomy differently than others. In retrospect, the role of deviance as it relates to female genital mutilation is one that includes the ideology of several African countries and hundreds of years of a practice from which their society believe that females will be better protected and better suited for marriage. In the American society, quite the contrary is focused on. The necessity for a bride to be sealed and purified is not held to such standards as FGM societies.
For the past decade, France has criminally prosecutes immigrants who’ve had their daughters circumcised, and in October 1996 the U.S. congress outlawed female genital mutilation in the country. Announced, a global campaign in 197 to eradicate the practice, and a growing number of refugee, women’s, and human rights originations in Africa and around the globe have called for its ban. But progress has been rather slow. Western forms of movement have been very counterproductive, with Africans resisting the dictates of patronizing outsiders. Outlawing the practice had already been favored by colonial regimes in Africa during the first century, instigating only resistance and protest. African leader have additionally been ineffective. Kenya, Sudan,
Female genital mutilation, regardless of the stage or how it’s performed, is practiced differently in many different communities, countries and continents. Girls who are between the ages of birth through 15 are at the highest risk for female genital circumcision. In Africa, where the most extreme stage of FGM is practiced, girls are circumcised so they can transition into womanhood. Being a woman comes with many great attributes including being able to marry and bringing honor to your family. So girls endure the pain and pass this ritualistic phase in hope of a brighter future.
Imagine being a girl almost 6 years old and hearing from your mom that you are going to have some of your private parts removed. Your mom goes on and tells you that this will help you be a good girl and a good man will marry you if you undergo this procedure. “The term Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), applies to any procedure involving the removal of all or part of the vulva and/ or clitoris”( Boyle, 2005). This is a practice that exists in most African countries and small parts of Asia. The main purpose of this is in the, “social desire in terminating or reducing feelings of sexual arousal in women so that they will be much less likely to engage in premarital sexual relationships or adultery”(Boyle, 2005).
Although some indigenous tribes of Africa and cultures across Asia may believe that female genital mutilation (FGM) is an essential procedure that all women must undergo in order to have healthy growth and a social lifestyle, FGM is one of the most harmful practices conducted on young women because it deprives them of their rights to health, secu...
A. The United Kingdom is full of organizations that provide help to women around the world. The Women’s National Commission is the official and independent advisory body giving the views of women to the government. This organization is in charge of taking in account (by the Government) women’s points of view and needs. This also involves taking all of these opinions to a public debate. The Women’s National Commission (as well as many organizations in the UK) is aware of the problems around the world and how rights of women are violated in many ways. Since there job is to inform the government and the public, they do, and the government has taken time and money to invest in women’s well beings. But also, the UK has a group called Womankind Worldwide that is dedicated to raising the status of women around the world. They work with 20 countries in Africa, South Asia, Western Europe, Central and South America. The Womankind Worldwide organization, works to achieve an improvement in women’s lives – socially, financially, in terms of health and participation in society. Religion and gender-based violence is a very important issue for this group, which is why they created a special project (called Body Literacy) that focuses in helping women understand and confront the taboos of their society. This organization works directly with women and men internationally with the hope of transforming communities and achieving equality between women and men.