FGM is performed on girls between the ages of four and twelve. There is an estimate that about 135 million of the world’s girls and women have undergone genital mutilation. The operation is forced on approximately 6,000 girls per day worldwide. They are considered to be obligated to perform this operation because since FGM is primarily performed on girls at a very young age, they are unable to give their informed approval. In Africa, 85% of FGM cases consist of clitoridectomy and 15% of the cases consist of infibulation. In some cases, only the hood (the retractable fold of skin) is removed.
The continual practice of FGM has indeed caused major public health and human rights concerns and conflicts. Female circumcision is considered to be an extremely dangerous and painful procedure that can cause infection and severe bleeding, and can probably lead to death. It is known to affect menstruation difficulties, problems with woman giving birth, and it also makes vaginal sex complicated.
For this reason, the question, “Why is female circumcision still practiced?” is usually brought up. Many anthropologists have debated about this issue, each side bringing out their arguments about why people should or should not intrude with societies and cultures that still practice FGM.
The reasons for the continuation of FGM vary depending to the socio-cultural context of where it exists. There are psychosexual, sociological, hygiene and aesthetic, and religious reasons for why FGM is practiced. Those who continue this type of practice usually state these things: “It is our culture… It is our religious obligation… all our people have done it… it makes you clean, beautiful, better, sweet-smelling… you will be able to marry, be presentable to your husband, able to satisfy and keep your husband, able to conceive and bear children.” Women who usually do not get circumcised are considered to be prostitutes or members of an outcast group. Some cultures believe that female (and male) should be circumcised because it is a procedure that is necessary to be performed in order to convert a child into a real woman (or man). Female circumcision is often thought of to purify and to protect the next generation from dangerous outside influences. In some societies, men have been taught that only circumcised women make good wives.
Anthropologists argue that women most probably have female circumcision to follow with their traditions, to enhance their femininity and beauty, to discourage the activity of masturbation, and to protect female “purity” and the society’s honor.
Nonetheless, many have noticed that there are more negative aspects about FGM than there are positive. Female circumcision limits the possible enjoyment level of sex for women, but the biggest problem is that it brings about many physical effects. The results of genital mutilation can be very painful (causing excessive bleeding) and can even lead to death. Sometimes FGM is not done by experienced people or properly cleaned materials and tools. Therefore, it can also cause the woman to get vaginal infections or other health difficulties.
Many anthropologists argue that they should work to eliminate the practice of female circumcision. Among these people is the author Merrilee H. Salmon who wrote an article called Ethical Considerations in Anthropology and Archaeology, or Relativism and Justice for All. In his piece of work, he described how FGM is violating individual’s freedom of choice, especially children’s, because those who are a victim of this practice have no right to choose in whether or not they want to perform female circumcision. One major reason for why women are forced to practice FGM is because they are “brainwashed” with the fact that if they do not get circumcised, they are breaking the traditions and that “no one would marry the girl unless she were circumcised,” (Salmon, 366). It is obvious how some women are actually forced to go through these harsh procedures. Consider the following example as a demonstration of how a woman in this universe tries to run away from FGM, even though she knows that it is risking her life:
“Recently a young woman from Togo sought and was granted asylum in the United States to avoid genital mutilation. The woman became endangered… attempted to commit the woman to an arranged marriage. Thus the practice is unusual inasmuch as it is intended to control women, it affects them almost universally, and they suffer the greatest harm from it…” (Salmon, 367).
This practice is also considered to be very dangerous to the woman’s health. Mutilation, like once explained already, “causes severe medical damage… the operation can cause immediate infection, excessive bleeding, and even death. Delayed common effects of the operation are infections of the urinary tract, menstrual problems, painful intercourse, reduction in fertility, and complication in childbirth,” (Salmon, 367). Questions such as, “Why do parents allow their child to go through these harsh procedures?” have been brought up before. According to a conversation between Dr. Nawal M. Nour and Claudia Dreifus, the doctor explained that, “People do it because of a deeply ingrained belief that they are protecting their daughters. This is not done to be hurtful, but out of love… These are the same parents who in time of war of famine will give up their food so that the children will be fed.” Just because the parents love their daughter, does this mean that they have the right to harm the child in this way? That is why there are human rights groups that are trying to help communities that practice FGM find a different way to celebrate a girl’s womanhood without causing her farm. Every person has universal and moral rights. Anthropologists, as well as others who are concerned with human rights, want to take both educational and legal means to end the practice of genital mutilation.
Nevertheless, many societies still believe that they should continue with performing FGM because this helps them maintain their cultural distinctiveness. There are anthropologists, such as Elliot P. Skinner, who think that they should not intervene with the practice of female circumcision and he explains and supports this issue by writing an article called Female Circumcision in Africa: The Dialectics of Equality. He believes that this is one way in which female have a way in gaining power (since they control the ritual) when they challenge the superiority of men. The majority of the women in some cultures who do support female circumcision believe that the ceremony that is performed demonstrates that women are just as capable as men. The author also explains in his editorial that societies that do not practice FGM must understand the emic point of view, meaning that outsiders should not force outside values on a culture. In other words, he is telling people that they have to look at this issue with an open mind, understanding and respecting other people’s traditions and customs.
FGM is seen as a way of ushering a girl into womanhood, and sometimes girls who have gone through female circumcision look down on other girls who have not had this “rite of passage.” Many women grow up into believing that female circumcision is the right thing to do, while there are others that are conscious that FGM is simply a maladaptive tradition. In my point of view, I stand in the middle. However, I lean more towards the side where anthropologists should intervene with this practice because I think that many human rights are violated and that this cruel and harsh custom is harming many individuals who are technically considered to be “brainwashed”. Female genital mutilation causes many short as well as long term damages to a woman’s health. I understand that cultures want to pass on their traditions, but don’t they think about innocent children that go through severe pain just to satisfy a community? And what about those who become a victim of FGM and actually die?
READ
http://www.noharmm.org/CircintheFemale.htm
- do it arg.
http://www.amnesty.org/ailib/intcam/femgen/fgm1.htm#a3
http://www.iac-ciaf.ch/FGM.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_circumcision
