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“Combating Female Genital Mutilation: An agenda for the Decade.” paper
Outline on female genital mutilation
Female circumcision
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Alice Walker, Warrior Marks: Female Genital Mutilation and the Sexual Blinding of Women. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1993, 373pp. Female genital mutilation, also known as female circumcision, is a practice that involves the removal of part or all of the female external genitalia. It occurs throughout the world, but most commonly in Africa where they say that it is a tradition and social custom to keep a young girl pure and a married woman faithful. But to some Westerners, the practice is viewed as being primitive and barbaric. We react with disgust and find it nearly incomprehensible that female genital mutilation can occur in the world today In Warrior Marks, Alice Walker looks at the reality that millions of African, Asian and Indian women suffer from genital mutilation. The book begins with the re-telling of a story of how she lost one eye. This wound was inflicted on her when she was three years old and for years, she felt handicapped and isolated. Her brother, who caused this accident with a BBgun, is referred to as a “warrior” and the blinding of her eye is the warrior mark. Her visual mutilation is what helped her see the subject of genital mutilation. She sees it as a terrible form of patriarchal oppression, characterized by “the feeling of being overpowered and dominated by those you are bound to respect.” The book goes on and discusses the health risks that are involved in the practice. It talks about how the women who perform the surgery have a minimal knowledge of anatomy and hygiene, which results in infections of the genital and often results in the transmission of the HIV virus. Besides the initial pain of the operation, these girls also suffer long-term physiological, sexual and psychological effects. A mother reveals that she would stop the pain and betrayal if she could but because of tradition, she and others would risk banishment, torture and abuse. In the end, Walker emphasizes that these African women are not victims, but survivors. In the book, the women grow gardens on dry land and trade food, clothing and crafts in the marketplace. Whether a battered wife, a rape survivor or genitally mutilated woman, Walker concludes that a woman warrior learns that if she is injured, she can fight back. She closes by saying, “Your wound could be your guide.” Female circumcision is based on gender oppression and degradation of women.
A woman in the film explains that, she lack of so much information that in the day after the surgery, she was cut and sew with black thread and she said “O my God” what have they cut me. In addition, she mentions that she was a total ignorant, but she feels that she wasn’t forced to do it that she went on her own free will, but if she would have been told of other childbirth methods she would have done it. Also, another woman said that the gynecologist told her that she was going to have the tied tube procedure that consisted of having her Fallopian tubes tied, but she didn’t know it was also
G brings his 12-year-old daughter, Aliya, to Dr. Jordan’s office with the request that he perform the procedure on her. Although traditionally the procedure is performed without anesthesia or antiseptics, Mr. G says that he wants his daughter to have access to these, because he does not want her to suffer and wants her to be safe. Dr. Jordan does not find these concessions satisfactory, however. He believes that the practice, even with anesthesia, reflects an unacceptable disfigurement, repression, and control of women. Mr. G and his daughter insist that they want the procedure carried out; if not, they will seek the traditional method when they return to their home country for a planned visit.”
In Althaus’ article, she provides in-depth information about female circumcision; a highly controversial cultural ritual that is practiced in at least 28 countries
Today, if a man hits a woman, he is less of a man and a disgrace, not praised and admired as in the past. Although Janie endures the beatings from her husbands, it is the denial of her self-expression that affects Janie the most; this oppression is nearly unheard of today.... ... middle of paper ... ...
Savagery versus civility, gender roles, and revenge are all timeless themes that are still applicable to today’s society and students. Savage war and hate crimes are both examples of modern day savagery. Gender roles are being bent now more than ever with the transgender and queer movements; revenge will always be about retribution or greed. In Hannah Dustan’s case, particularly in Whittier’s version, she was as brave and strong as any man, protecting herself and avenging the death of her baby.
The effects from this corrupt enterprise are undeniably painful and scaring. In common societies women are belittled and objectified excessively, it is hardly considered a conflict when unimaginable pain is inflicted upon them. The physical, emotional, and mental distortion and destruction, caused by violence last an eternity. The inane fear, agony of sha...
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
This creates a despair, of hopelessness and of downheartedness. The woman, on multiple occasions, wrote down, “And what can one do?” This lets the reader know that women as a whole were very oppressed in ...
Patriarchal silencing can be enforced in three different ways; physical abuse, emotional abuse, and social demands and/or expectations. Although both books have opposite cultural and racial factors that influence the way in which the women in the books are treated, we can still see that these three ways of silencing women are present. In Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple”, the form of patriarchal silencing that is most prominent is the viole...
Historically, Black Women’s issues have been displaced by those of both white women and of the African American community as a whole. From the moment Africans set foot on the shores of the “New World,” the brutality they experienced was not just racialized, but gendered. Both African men and women were stripped naked, shaved, chained, branded, and inspected then sold and forced to work in the fields, plowing and picking cotton until their backs ached and their fingers bled. They also saw their family members sold away. However, their experiences diverged when it came to gender.
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...
In the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, women of the Ibo tribe are terribly mistreated, and viewed as weak and receive little or no respect outside of their role as a mother. Tradition dictates their role in life. These women are courageous and obedient. These women are nurturers above all and they are everything but weak.
...y 69). In life, forcing human beings to undergo unnecessary and morally wrong surgical procedures, such a female circumcision—defeats the life and its purpose. Life is often known to be the greatest gift of all; it allows human beings to chase their dreams and become successful individuals—both in their personal and professional life.
Female genital mutilation, or also referred to as the female circumcision, is a horrible act of violence on young girls between the ages of infant to fifteen years young. Each of the four types of circumcision includes some type of cutting to the outer female genital area. For what reason though? People from all over the world need to not only know the difference between the four different types of circumcision, but also need to know why people perform this task and the harmful scenarios that come from each of circumcision. However, some may already know about these many different aspects of mutilation on women. There are not as many as Seyta, whom Stephanie got to work with, that are educated
Caldwell (2000) states that in nearly all the present areas of the female circumcision have been performed either on both sexes or on neither. FGM, or female genital mutilation, is a practice that is carried out to mutilate a woman’s genitals. Some women are ok with it, some are not, and some just do not care about FGM. But this is not a point of willingness, but more so about the health of the women of Egypt. “The report 's insights represent an important step towards ending this and other practices that are damaging to women 's health (“Female genital…” 2010).” A women’s health is a serious issue, especially in a growing society. With the problem of women dying, it is only a matter of time before death rates start to increase new diseases start up. FGM is also something the women of Egypt want to end. According to the article Female Genital Mutilation and Social Change (2010), although the national prevalence of genital mutilation remains high in Egypt (91%) and Sudan (89%), as a result of community-driven change all five countries have reported a decrease in the percentage of women who think the practice should continue. Some women have decided to make a change, and that includes stopping the practice of FGM. Stopping FGM can lead to a better health for the women and make them happier overall. “Since 1995, the press has reported many deaths from female genital mutilation.. (Hadi 1997).” With the