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Debate on female circumcision
Debate on female circumcision
Female circumcision
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Female genital mutilation, regardless of the stage or how it’s performed, is practiced differently in many different communities, countries and continents. Girls who are between the ages of birth through 15 are at the highest risk for female genital circumcision. In Africa, where the most extreme stage of FGM is practiced, girls are circumcised so they can transition into womanhood. Being a woman comes with many great attributes including being able to marry and bringing honor to your family. So girls endure the pain and pass this ritualistic phase in hope of a brighter future. On the contrary, in Southeast Asia, female circumcision is favored for girls to go through and communities feel that it benefits girls in many ways, including stabilizing her …show more content…
The leaders of many communities are educated so they can spread the word and make changes to existing laws that favor FGM. Of course they face many challenges and struggles to terminate a cultural and a religious ritualistic practice that has existed for decades. Above, we have examined and analyzed many different media sources by comparing and contrasting. These sources present accurate and reliable information for the reader on female genital mutilation. The practice of female genital mutilation, unlike conditions such as Diabetes type 2 or Cancer, depends on the society in which it occurs. The best way for readers to get the most accurate information for each community is to read articles or magazines that contain stories and interviews from individuals who belong to a specific country since the various societies practice FGM differently. However, for general information on female genital mutilation, the World Health Organization is a credible and reputable go-to source. All the above media sources have thoroughly summarized what female genital mutilation consists of, where and how it is practiced as well as the harm it causes to women who have undergone this
In Althaus’ article, she provides in-depth information about female circumcision; a highly controversial cultural ritual that is practiced in at least 28 countries
Female genital mutilation is mostly practiced in Islamic and African cultures, claiming young girls as t...
Many feminists in the Western Culture have this ethnocentric idea that female circumcision is “female mutilation” portraying it as a “barbaric tradition” and “violence against women” (“Yes to Female Circumcision?”). According to Fuambai Ahmadu, a Sierra Leonean-American anthropologist, female circumcision is an initiation that symbolizes matriarchal power. The practice is “synonymous with women’s power, their political, economic, reproductive, and ritual spheres of influence” (Ahmadu, pg. 14). By having no regards to the cultures and traditions of these small-scale societies, we are invalidating their beliefs and presenting ethnocentric
Freedom of choice is a desire for most, but as we are young we depend on the decision of our parents. With this dependent nature of a child the freedom of choice is limited, for males this can lead to a life long consequence. Male circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin; the skin covering the head of the penis. Circumcision is practiced for religious purposes in Jewish and Muslim communities. Normally, the boy’s age varies from 4 to 11 years old. In the United States, this procedure is also done but without a religious purpose. The boys in this case are commonly newborn. This practice became popular after medical groups claimed that there were many health benefits that came with circumcision. Though it has been proven otherwise, it is still a common practice in the U.S. fueled by ignorance. Circumcision is an unnecessary surgery that leads to psychological problems, issues with sexual activities and lasting physical damage.
They are more than just household workers, caretakers of children and materials of pleasure. Women are underestimated because they show off a gentle and very caring side making others think that they can be easily fooled and that they cannot progress. The greatest challenge of women empowerment is changing the stereotypes that have existed in many cultures. For example, female genital cutting shows the discrimination of women. This practice is offensive to human rights and should be eradicated. Although it is difficult to break out of tradition, it has to be broken because it shows a wrong use of religion and tradition. The society has tolerated it for so long; it takes a special person to say that it’s wrong, someone who has great power over the people such as the leaders or other people who see the bigger picture. The female who was an expert in doing female circumcision mentioned that cutting itself is a source of income for her and she would abandon the practice if given another kind of source of income. This shows a capitalist structure in their
Certainly, in the United States (and much of the Western world), female circumcision is illegal; however, male circumcision is utterly legal. In fact, in 2007, the Center for Disease Control reported that almost eighty percent of men in the United States were circumcised (Morris): legally, zero percent were females. Yet, several nations, where the culture is absolutely polar from the West, have prohibited male circumcision (Evans). The predominant factor, of course. The ideologies of culture make the laws, including morals; thus, these laws represent each region’s civilization, morals, and culture. Again, doctors must conform—this time to the law, not the parent. So, any decision doctors make, regarding circumcision, is due to cultural restrictions and their own
Unlike male circumcisions which were practice for religious purposes, female circumcision is done for social convention and is practiced as a way to prepare girls for marriage, as well as conform to societal norms of femininity. Female circumcisions are often motivated by what would be considered proper female behavior and as a way to promote virginity as well as cause pain during intercourse to uphold these beliefs. Much like male circumcision these societal beliefs about sex and purity, have affected these cultures in their convictions that circumcision must be performed to be pure and free of
Female genital mutilation (also known as female circumcision) is the cutting of female clitoral hood and removing clitoris. Following the cutting of female genital organ, there are many short-term and long-term health risk problems, and even death due to some complicated infections. The reasons for performing female genital mutilation are connected with socio-cultural beliefs, attitudes, values and customs, transition of girls into womanhood, tradition and cultural heritage, the fear of not having access to resources and opportunities as a young woman, perception to reduce sexual desire of females; hence, will sustain premarital virginity, and maintain marital fidelity. Actions have taken at international, national and regional levels since the past many years and have begun to bear fruits, but the practice is still undergoing in many countries in the world and highly prevalent in Africa. To continue and motivate further reduction in changing the society’s attitudes towards female genital mutilation in the countries where the prevalence has remained stable so it’s therefor...
Little, Cindy M. "FEMALE GENITAL CIRCUMCISION: MEDICAL AND CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS." Journal of Cultural Diversity 10.1 (2003): 30-34. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 18 Apr. 2011.
Vaginoplasty is plastic surgery for the vagina. More commonly known as vaginal rejuvenation, it is often done to help strengthen vaginal muscles that significantly weaken after childbirth. These procedures often involve removing of vaginal tissue or grafting tissue from other parts of the body. Why Get Vaginoplasty?
In Searching for “Voices”: Feminism, Anthropology, and the Global Debates over Female Genital Operations, Walley discusses the social issues concerning female genital operations as perceived by “westerners”, as well as discusses her ethnographic account of female circumcision. Her main purpose of doing this was to lay the groundwork for “a more productive feminist and anthropological debate” capable of going beyond the binary terms in which female circumcisions are usually discussed. Since female circumcisions are known by a variety of names, such as female genital mutilation and female genital torture, and with her understanding of the negative connotation often associated with those varieties of names, Walley makes the decision to adopt the term female genital operations instead. In 1988, Walley went in the village of KiKhome, in western Kenya as an English teacher and immersed herself in the lives of the people living around the village to better understand the practice of female genital operations as an outsider. One day, some of her students invited her to assist at a female genital operation ceremony. She found out that the participants see circumcision as a rite of passage into adulthood. However, she truly wanted to know the participants’ personal views on the topic rather than the imposed views of their parents and their culture. The four women she interviewed told her that “their custom was good,” and it was something that a person needs to accept with her whole being not to feel the pain. Nevertheless, some of the women told her that they would not want their daughters to undergo circumcision, and that they themselves regretted having done the procedure. Walley finally gave up “searching for real voices,” because what t...
What a society deems a normal natural way of life, other cultures may view it as a violation of ones natural born rights. Some societies’ view the female anatomy differently than others. In retrospect, the role of deviance as it relates to female genital mutilation is one that includes the ideology of several African countries and hundreds of years of a practice from which their society believe that females will be better protected and better suited for marriage. In the American society, quite the contrary is focused on. The necessity for a bride to be sealed and purified is not held to such standards as FGM societies.
I was pinned onto the table by four women. They said, “It's not going to be painful, silly girl”. Apparently they gave me an injection to numb it, but I felt everything, I felt my flesh being cut off” (2013). Female circumcision is a cultural “rite” in Muslim community. FGC is usually done
Many question whether female circumcision (FGM, genital cutting, etc.) is a form of abuse, is it a humane and morally acceptable practice and how can we fix this horrendous practice? These assumptive thoughts are typically made through the eyes of outsiders, female circumcision is many things and must be looked at through such a lens. Despite, all of this female circumcision is still framed very commonly between these three views, female circumcision is abuse, is a result of patriarchal societies, and is a cultural and religious practice.
Imagine being a girl almost 6 years old and hearing from your mom that you are going to have some of your private parts removed. Your mom goes on and tells you that this will help you be a good girl and a good man will marry you if you undergo this procedure. “The term Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), applies to any procedure involving the removal of all or part of the vulva and/ or clitoris”( Boyle, 2005). This is a practice that exists in most African countries and small parts of Asia. The main purpose of this is in the, “social desire in terminating or reducing feelings of sexual arousal in women so that they will be much less likely to engage in premarital sexual relationships or adultery”(Boyle, 2005).