Traditional practices passed down through generations are common in Africa and certain parts of Asia. Often times known to possess cultural importance, some of these practices have affected the lives of the inhabitants in both positive and negative ways. One of such practices is female circumcision (FC), which has such negative effects that those who oppose it call it female genital mutilation (FGM). Though not everyone agrees that FGM is the most appropriate term that applies to this tradition, in modern times, audiences worldwide have begun to accept female genital mutilation as a more fitting expression to articulate such horrid violation of human rights. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is the collective name given to the several different traditional practices that involve the cutting of female genitals. The procedure is commonly performed on girls as a rite of passage of womanhood. It is generally performed by a traditional practitioner – often an older woman – who comes from a family in which generations of women have been traditionally practitioners, their heritage gives them the authority to proceed without a medical degree. FGM has been found to have significant cultural importance for people who uphold the practice which in local dialects is often times synonymous with purification or cleansing. Therefore, how people view FGM can be seen in the change in the rates of prevalence Although some indigenous tribes of Africa and cultures across Asia may believe that female genital mutilation (FGM) is an essential procedure that all women must undergo in order to have healthy growth and a social lifestyle, FGM is one of the most harmful practices conducted on young women because it deprives them of their rights to health, secu... ... middle of paper ... ...rls as young as 5 years undergo infibulation. With respect to the fact that these believes hold great significance in the hearts of such tribes and communities, FGM was and always will be violation of rights of women all over the world. In modern times where people fight for freedom and equality amongst all social classes of race, gender, sexuality, religion, nationality, political ideology, education level and ethnicity, the fact that such an act of discrimination even exists is truly unfortunate. The above examples have shown how horrific FGM and its effects on women and society really are. It is therefore the duty of governments, and the people of the affected nations to join forces and work together, stop discriminating their own mothers, sisters and daughters; create a society and community equal for every citizen and inhabitant, and end FGM once and for all.
I argue that female genital mutilation (FGM) should not be covered under the universal code of ethics when dealing with cultural tolerance, parents should not be able to make harmful decisions for their children, and doctors are under no obligation to perform such rituals to conform to the beliefs and traditions of their patients such as in cases of
In the Maasai society, genital cutting is a rite of passage from childhood to adulthood, and both men and women go through the process of circumcision. As society ages, opinions on cultural norms change. This is true for the Maasai society, where the views on female circumcision have and are changing. Female circumcision is classified into three categories, and defined by the World Health Organization, Type I is the removal of the foreskin on the vagina, Type II is the removal of the clitoris, and Type III is the removal of all external genitalia with the stitching or narrowing of the vaginal opening (“New Study”). Traditionally in the Maasai society, women underwent Type II or Type III circumcision. Written in 1988, “The Initiation of a Maasai Warrior,” by Tepilit Ole Saitoi, and is an autobiographical story of Saitoti’s circumcision in his initiation to a warrior. Though his story mainly focuses on the male circumcision part of the Maasai society, women’s circumcision and other basic traditions are discussed. Throughout the short story, the topic of circumcision and the rite of passage, both long- standing traditions in the Maasai society, are central themes.
The women in Nampossela lack the social and economic rights to make many significant decisions about their life. Due to her simultaneous position as an outsider and a member of the group, Holloway becomes an unbiased outlet that Monique and other woman can speak with regarding their difficulties. One such difficulty amongst women in Mali that Holloway discovered was female circumcision. Holloway, prior to her visit to Mali, was aware of the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in rural villages. However, the intense birth of Korotun’s daughter causes Holloway to question the reasoning behind the traditional cutting. In response to Holloway’s mention of FGM, Monique explains her painful experience of circumcision at nine or ten and her thoughts on the subject, “Here we say that koloboli helps girls become good wives and bear children…it does not help the baby pass through…”(114). The practice of FGM in Mali occurs often enough that Monique had never met an uncut woman prior to Holloway, whose western background does not practice FGM.
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
This is a case study regarding a family in Senegal that follows the Muslim culture. However, unlike most Muslims, they practice the form of female circumcision. The tradition is to have all girls coming of age to be circumcised; otherwise they would be shunned and would never be able to get a husband. The family’s tradition believes that if a girl does not have this procedure done, they will be considered deformed and their clitoris will hang down to their knees. Awa is concerned because she and her husband, Joseph, have two daughters who are coming of age and her mother-in-law is demanding to know why they have not made the arrangements for the girls’ circumcision. Awa’s dilemma is whether or
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
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is an ancient traditional non-therapeutic surgical procedure that involves total or partial removal of the external parts of female genitalia. This paper aimed to define and classify FGM, identifies the prevalence, describes reasons for performing the practice, and concentrates on the problems associated to this practice with regard to women’s health, religious beliefs, and socio-cultural, behavioral and moral consequences. Researches and survey reports that the global actions have been taken to reduce or abolish the prevalence of the practice will be assessed.
Pain, shame, lack of ability to reproduce. Marie, who suffers from each of these symptoms, is one of the many women from Africa who have suffered from female genital mutilation. When Marie was only two years old, she had her clitoris and labia cut off. Since then, she has moved to New York yet is still suffering from the many consequences you get from female genital mutilation. Female genital mutilation, also known as FGM, is a very common procedure primarily done in Africa for cultural beliefs. There are no known beneficial medical reasons as to why people would get the procedure done. FGM became a thing several decades ago by African tribes and is only now being brought up into the light as people realize that it is not a necessity in life. Once you go through the procedure, you have to live with the symptoms for the rest of your life and the situation down there does not heal at all. Since the topic is fairly new in the newsstands, not a lot of people know how to address women who have gone through this and how they can help them from here on out. FGM is spreading throughout the world rather rapidly because women finally decided to start speaking up for themselves. Several countries are trying to determine the long-term outcomes of FGM and improve the situation for the near future.
Nagarwala’s case is American, it can be assumed that it would have generated a similar response from the Canadian court and population, since the two multicultural societies share similar worldviews and values. Cultures in which FGM is commonly practiced and socially accepted consider it as a right to access womanhood and a part of their identity. The practice is often viewed and practiced as a religious act, even though none of the religious books make reference to the act itself (United Nations 8-11). In this case, Shannon Smith, the attorney representing Dr. Nagarwala’s, claims that the doctor simply performed a religious ritual, without casing harm. Nagarwala’s cultural beliefs and traditions bring her into believing that her acts were ethical; a view shared by the girls’ parents and some members of the Bohara sect.
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...
Some countries have banned Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) but some societies continue to perform this procedure. Likewise, coming from an anthropological perspective, I understand why cultures and societies perform Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). But as a young woman and a Westerner, I feel as though the girl should have a choice, and worry about the negative consequences of having the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) surgery. In conclusion, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) leaves non-Westerns wondering who came up with this procedure. Works Cited Anonymous, Female Genital Mutilation.
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.
Female circumcision, also known as Female genital mutilation, or female genital cutting is a custom that has sparked controversy among many people belonging to other cultures not accustomed to the practice. Within the argument lay a series of debates surrounding the issue as culture and tradition clash with human rights over whether or not this practice should be allowed. Advocates against the practice draw on the prevalence, perceptions, and reasons for conducting FGM to combat what they believe is a human rights issue.