Cultural Relativism In Female Genital Mutilation

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Recommended: Ethical relativism vs cultural relativism

Cultural relativism is when a person’s beliefs should be looked at and understood by others dependent on what that person’s culture is.
Female Genital Mutilation or FGM is when the outside female genitalia is cut, or removed, or injured for cultural or other mon-medial reasons. There are four different types of procedures: clitoridectomy, which is the “partial or total removal of the clitoris and/or the prepuce”; excision is the “partial or total removal of the clitoris and labia minora, with or without excision of the labia majora”; infibulation, is the narrowing of the vaginal orifice with a covering seal. The seal is formed by cutting and re-positioning the labia minora and/or the labia majora. This can take place with or without removal …show more content…

It is expected for girls to have this done, if they refuse it, they can be condemned, harassed, and ostracized (UNFPA). UNFPA states that there are five reasons as to why these cultures perform this: psychosexual reasons, including controlling a women’s sexuality, it is thought to ensure virginity before marriage and fidelity afterward, and to increase male sexual pleasure; sociological and cultural reasons include that it is a part of a girl’s initiation into womanhood and an intrinsic part of a community’s cultural heritage; hygiene and aesthetic reasons include the thought that external female genitalia is dirty and ugly; even though Islam or Christianity does not sanction this, religious doctrine can be used to justify the practice; the last reason is for socio-economic factors, it is usually a prerequisite for marriage, and can be a prerequisite for the right to inherit. Since gender inequality is also part of the culture where FGM is practiced, women rely on men, and the repercussions of these procedures are ignored. WHO also states “FGM is associated with cultural ideals of femininity and modesty, which include the notion that girls are clean and beautiful after removal of body parts that are considered unclean, unfeminine or male.” A moral relativist would say that it is their way of life and it is how they have made life to be. Many accept …show more content…

In counties where this occurs, it is also part of the culture that there is gender inequalities. If refused. It can lead to many _______.
A moral relativist would point out hypocrisy in people in our culture who criticize cultures where it is practiced, this is because in our culture it is thought that women must fit the idealized image of beautiful, which is thin and made up with make up. Many women and girls go to great lengths to please the culture with this image, (ie anorexity, bulimia,…)
I believe that FGM is objectively morally wrong, and that when other cultures engage in FGM, they do something that it is morally wrong, this is because they are denying women and girls, rights to their bodies. It is usually done against their will, and causes great harm to whom it is done to. (death, HIV, birth

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