Well over one hundred million women who live in Africa have been subjected to the agonizing, most harrowing operation of female genital mutilation, a horrid procedure that encompasses surgical excision and the removal of the external female genitalia or injuries to female genital organs. Three million African girls become increasingly at risk each year due to this brutal act. Female Genital Mutilation is a discriminatory act that of and a clear violation of our human rights and despite decades of fighting against this, the practice goes on.
First World Health Organization technical expert on Female Genital Mutilation, Efua Dorkenoo, a Ghana native, sought this act as a human rights issue making the governments aware of such practices. Dorkenoo provides an array of unique perspectives on the FGM issue in addition to peculiar insight of statistics. Worldwide stats of Female Genital Mutilation displaytrends that are evidently addressed by Dorkenoo. Tending to the conflicts of potential health risks, the meaning of the practice, and its relation to the rights of these girls and women, it sparks debate and controversy as to what exactly is keeping Female Genital Mutilation in full function today. It raises questions, is there anything we can do to eliminate this procedure from being enacted on a female ever again? Is the only way to alleviate this practice through education and mere realistic change?
There are a number of people who campaign against the issue of Female Genital Mutilation; on the contrary there remain girls who seek FGM for the desire of physical, uniform appearance to their peers. Unquestionably wanting to be viewed as equals, this does not excuse the fact that the pain is excruciating and violating, more so does it not make the surgical aspect any less of what it is. The intended purpose for Female Genital Mutilation is to not only suppress, but rather obtain control over the sexual behavior or contact made by these girls and women. It’s quite contradicting of society to encourage such torment upon women yet you have this idea that we should be raised to marry and produce offspring. You take away the one gift we are given. You close the one passageway of life and claim it’s for the better. So as you stand there, a fellow human being below my waist, in between my legs and prepare to end life, people are fighting you no matter your intent, for instance Dorkenoo; who wishes to bring our societies around the world to a further state of awareness on Female Genital Mutilation.
Psychological consequences and disruption of the conscious mind of a woman, are crucial factors that are only a matter of importance after the procedure is completed. In Ethiopia growing numbers of women in the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front was due to the massive numbers of young women who ran away from home to escape “forced marriage and the knife”. From the issue being domestic to “public domain”, there is a significant increase in public awareness of the health risks and harm that come from female genital mutilation. Noted, the unpopularity of FGM in some African countries has grown drastically. Sierra Leone for instance, urban men have become willing to marry uncircumcised women; dually noted, when the marriage is of personal desire and NOT “pre-arranged”. To demonstrate, the practice does continue to linger among sectors of Africa. Southern Sudan, another example in which this case, Muslim women who indeed marry “northern Sudanese men”. Furthermore, rapid growth in population in Africa leads to larger numbers of female children who are exposed to an even higher risk of mutilation.
FGM is detrimental to both the physical and mental health of girls and women. Female Genital Mutilation is a form of oppression of women and THAT demands to be heard.
From an ethnocentric viewpoint, Female Genital Mutilation is inhumane. Society has said for years on end that a woman, as a girl is groomed and raised for marriage and holds purpose for the production of life. Once that is complete, the job of a woman is final until the end of her days as a mother. She, I am given one soulful gift… to produce life. At one point, that would have been my only purpose. But to take that treasure away, not from being barren or infertile-but from mere infibulation and the belief that this practice, this action, will do right by the control of sexual actions taken by women, is soulless. From a violation of cultural values perspective, offense is taken quite harshly in particular cultures.
Female Genital Mutilation is deemed most prevalent in regions of eastern, north-eastern, and western areas in Africa in addition to few countries located in Asia, North America and Europe, as well as the Middle East. From a human rights perspective, the procedure is a distinct manifestation of gender inequality as well as a clear violation of rights granted to girls and women. From a culture angle, in primitive communities, some believe it is a passageway to womanhood and maturity. Others value it as a form of preservation of a woman’s virginity prior to marriage. Supported by traditional values and beliefs, FGM has been rooted in culture and can be argued it is performed for religious purposes. As the practice is not limited to a particular religion or culture, it has been tied and dated back to ancient rituals of Middle Eastern countries, such that it did not include the use of anesthetics, to ensure the “purity” and “cleanliness” required for girls upon marriage.
Knowing of the emotional and physical trauma inflicted upon these girls, the procedure continues to be executed because of the widely known discerned social benefits that are of higher regard compared to its disadvantages. Female Genital Mutilation is claimed to be of no promotion in any religion, yet well over half of women and girls in numerous countries have been proven to be victims of FGM as a religious requirement. Although Female Genital Mutilation has been assumed to share a connection with Islam, possibly because it has been practiced by Muslim groups, not ALL Muslims enforce or perform FGM. The same argument applies to Christians, African religions, and Ethiopian Jews. From this conclusion it is deduced that Female Genital Mutilation is indeed more so a cultural practice than religious.
Subsequently, the largest prevailing factor in FGM is ethnicity. From socio-economic class to education, people belonging to particular ethic groups abide by the same social norms and standards-FGM included. Thereof, Female Genital Mutilation is substantially prevalent among ethnic Somalis who live in Kenya. For instance, Somalis living in Kenya are at ninety eight percent performance of FGM which is the same to that of Somalia itself, and is far greater than the Kenyan average, only twenty seven percent.
From a relativistic standpoint, Female Genital Mutilation may not play a significant role or have a severe impact on other cultures for many reasons. It’s okay to allow girls and women to endure such scaring acts because it can “ensure virginity”, “guarantee fidelity in marriage”, “secure fertility”, “economic or social stability (daughters in the future)”, “reduction of sexual pleasure”, “hygienic appearance and cleanliness”, “tradition as a part of cultural heritage”, “necessary ritual to initiate girls into womanhood”, or maybe because “it is a religious mandate”, even though the operation predates Islam and Christianity. Any form of justification for the abuse and harassment girls and women have experienced is inexcusable and unjust.
From a crime perspective or from a culture viewpoint, significant psychological, physical, and mental, permanent damage has been enacted upon innocent girls and women for the purpose of superstition or personal belief that good shall come of it. Closure and satisfaction for those who put these females in their positional are the only people and things to be gained from the growing issue. Regardless how unaffected or untethered cultures might react to the practice, there are still those who constitute it as a cause to fight against. FGM is detrimental to both the physical and mental health of girls and women. Female Genital Mutilation is a form of oppression of women and THAT demands to be heard.
