Female Circumcision Research Paper

“Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more” (“Human Rights”). Human rights directly relate to the practice of female circumcision because human rights include “freedom from slavery and torture” and many people believe that female circumcision violates these basic freedoms. Human rights are a huge reason why female circumcision is just recently coming to light and gaining attention from people who want to put an end to the practice. It is estimated that more than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone female circumcision in the countries where the practice is most concentrated; furthermore, there are …show more content…
Types of female circumcision can range from pricking the clitoris, to removing it completely, and can even get as drastic as sewing up the skin around the vagina. There a generally 4 different types of female circumcision, but cases run on a wide spectrum. Type one is called a Clitoridectomy (partial or total removal of the clitoris); type two is Excision (partial or total removal of the clitoris and labia minora); type three is Infibulation (narrowing of the vaginal opening, by creating a covering or seal); type four is any other type of procedure that harms the female genital organs for non-medical reasons (“Female Genital Mutilation”)(c). Female circumcision is performed for many reasons primarily culturally …show more content…
Female circumcision is mostly carried out on young girls, between infancy and adolescence, and also occasionally women. Practiced in all types of households, educations levels, and social classes, female circumcision is a practice that is not limited to a specific group of people. Female circumcision occurs in several religious groups: Muslim, Christian, and Animists (Krupa) (g). Although the origin of female circumcision is unclear, it can be traced back by historians to Egyptian mummies, can be found in fifth century BC and it also supposedly predates Islam (Goldberg). The practice of female circumcision is thought to have spread because of the slave trade and became less severe as it spread (Goldberg). According to Goldberg, even though there are historical documents that prove this procedure has been practiced throughout time, no religious text requires female circumcision, and it is not sanctioned by Orthodox interpretations of many of the religions. With no religious text relating to the procedure, many people wonder why women and girls still endure this