Female Ecision: A Human Rights Violation

Female Excision: A Human Rights Violation Female excision has been widely practiced for hundreds and even thousands of years in certain parts of Africa. This cultural practice is defined by the World Health Organization as any “procedure involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons” (Female Genital Mutilation). Generally, female excision is “performed without anesthetics under septic conditions by practitioners with little or no knowledge of human anatomy or medicine” (Althaus). Some of the medical complications include severe pain (both long and short term), shock, retention of urine, hemorrhage, infection, in some cases death. Psychological effects can

Female circumcision violates rights such as: the right to be free from gender discrimination, the right to life, liberty and physical integrity (Lescure), and the right to be free from inhuman or degrading treatment (FGM: A Human Rights Violation). Female circumcision is discriminatory on the basis of sex because it lowers the status of women in society and it seeks to control women 's sexuality. The practice conveys that women are not worthy of respect and love unless they have their genitals cut; which goes against the rights in Article 1. Article 1 of the Declaration states that “all humans are born free and equal,” so in relation to female excision, even if a girl is born with external genitalia such as a cliterous (which all females are), they are still completely equal to men. Female excision is a violation of the right to life and physical integrity because it is harmful to a woman’s health and life (when the result is death). It is a woman’s right and her right only to chose what happens to her body; if she is pressured to choose or forced, then any medical complication resulting from circumcision is a violation of her physical integrity and possibly her life. Female excision is a degrading and inhuman practice because girls must endure severe bleeding,

Culture and tradition are important to society and can teach us important values; however, a cultural tradition should never be a defence for discrimination and subjugation. I believe it is a moral responsibility for humans as a species to condemn any evil wherever it exists. Westerners are often afraid denounce other cultural practices because of their imperial history, but I think that with reason, logic and careful consideration we can be sure whether or not we should advise a certain practice to continue or