Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C), also known as female circumcision, is a practice in which all or part of the female genitalia is removed. It is a tradition that dates back thousands of years, and while there is no known origin, it is alleged to have derived from ancient Egypt, pre-Islamic Arabia, and ancient Rome (Lee and Strong 20). In some regions today, it still remains a large part of the culture as a rite of passage for women into womanhood, as it is linked to marriageability and social acceptance (Hayford 256, Krick 41). However, while it can be noted why the practice is still around, it does not amend the fact that FGM/C is detrimentally harmful and can have lasting effects both physically and psychologically, which will later
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However, it is important to address how and why so many regions in the globe still regularly perform the procedure. Prevalence rates are high among Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan, among others (Krick 41). Many speculate that religion plays a large role in the practice, however research has had a hard time defining “religion” due to the many ways a religion can be interpreted (Hayford 255). Between Muslim women, Christian women, and women of Traditional religions from the regions, no one has any more of a significant rate of incidence over the other. To some of the women surveyed, it is considered a religious duty, but it seems that there may be a blurred line between religious duty and cultural duty, as there are no religious texts that require the practice (Krick 40; Hayford 255,261). The more recent research indicates that it is more so the culture in regions of the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa, such as Nigeria or Burkina Faso, that impact views of female circumcision. Women who are circumcised tend to view the practice, not as torture or injustice, but rather as a necessity for social acceptance (Lee and Strong 21). It is believed that FGM/C “maintains a girl’s chastity, prevents illicit sexual behavior, preserves fertility, ensures marriageability, improves hygiene, and enhances sexual pleasure for men” (Lee and Strong 20), most …show more content…
To begin, The World Health Organization United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund-United Nations Fund for Population Activities (WFIO-UNICEF-UNFPA) classifies female genital mutilation into four main types: “clitoridectomy (Type I), excision (Type II), [infibulation (Type III),] or ‘nicking,’ in which no flesh is removed (Type IV)” (Krick 41,Lee and Strong 21). Infibulation is the most severe and involves removal of the labia minora and labia majora and narrowing of the vaginal opening (Lee and Strong 21). Depending on the severity of the procedure, it can lead to excessive bleeding, difficulty passing urine, infection, shock, hemorrhage, labial fusion and scarring, infertility, dysmenorrhea, psychological trauma (such as PTSD), and even death (Krick 42). Many who perform the procedure have little training, and it is usually carried out with no anesthetics- not to mention that “instruments vary from razors or knives to broken glass or sharpened sticks” (Krick 41). What is described above is more than any woman should ever have to think of going
However, it is important to address how and why so many regions in the globe still regularly perform the procedure. Prevalence rates are high among Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan, among others (Krick 41). Many speculate that religion plays a large role in the practice, however research has had a hard time defining “religion” due to the many ways a religion can be interpreted (Hayford 255). Between Muslim women, Christian women, and women of Traditional religions from the regions, no one has any more of a significant rate of incidence over the other. To some of the women surveyed, it is considered a religious duty, but it seems that there may be a blurred line between religious duty and cultural duty, as there are no religious texts that require the practice (Krick 40; Hayford 255,261). The more recent research indicates that it is more so the culture in regions of the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa, such as Nigeria or Burkina Faso, that impact views of female circumcision. Women who are circumcised tend to view the practice, not as torture or injustice, but rather as a necessity for social acceptance (Lee and Strong 21). It is believed that FGM/C “maintains a girl’s chastity, prevents illicit sexual behavior, preserves fertility, ensures marriageability, improves hygiene, and enhances sexual pleasure for men” (Lee and Strong 20), most …show more content…
To begin, The World Health Organization United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund-United Nations Fund for Population Activities (WFIO-UNICEF-UNFPA) classifies female genital mutilation into four main types: “clitoridectomy (Type I), excision (Type II), [infibulation (Type III),] or ‘nicking,’ in which no flesh is removed (Type IV)” (Krick 41,Lee and Strong 21). Infibulation is the most severe and involves removal of the labia minora and labia majora and narrowing of the vaginal opening (Lee and Strong 21). Depending on the severity of the procedure, it can lead to excessive bleeding, difficulty passing urine, infection, shock, hemorrhage, labial fusion and scarring, infertility, dysmenorrhea, psychological trauma (such as PTSD), and even death (Krick 42). Many who perform the procedure have little training, and it is usually carried out with no anesthetics- not to mention that “instruments vary from razors or knives to broken glass or sharpened sticks” (Krick 41). What is described above is more than any woman should ever have to think of going