Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is an umbrella term for practices that involve the total or partial cutting of the female genitals; it usually involves women anywhere from infancy all the way up to the age of 40. Although, it is most of the time it is practiced on girls from the ages of 7 to 10. FGM is most prevalent in Africa; eastern, western and north-eastern region, the Middle East, Asia and along with certain groups of immigrants both in North America and Europe.
The four different types of FGM are Clitoridectomy, Excision, Infibulation and other. Clitoridectomy is part or total removal of the clitoris. In rare cases also only removing the prepuce (fold of skin that surrounds the clitoris). Excision is part or total removal of the clitoris along with the labia minora. The labia minor can be excised or not. Infibulation is the narrowing of the opening of the vagina by making a covering seal. Creation of the seal is by cutting and moving the inner/outer labia. This can be done with or without removing the clitoris. Lastly, other includes any other harmful operations that are done to the female genitals that are for non-medical purposes. This includes pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterizing.
There are several different reasons that FGM is performed including, psychosexual, sociological and cultural and religious reasons. The psychosexual reasons that FGM is performed because it keeps control over a women’s sexuality. In theory, FGM is supposed to ensure a women’s virginity before marriage and to stop adultery after marriage. Also it is supposed to increase the sexual pleasure of males. The sociological and cultural reasons are because FGM is viewed as part of the initiation into womanhood along with it being apart of a community’s cultural tradition and its heritage. Other sociological reasons are, myths that if the clitoris is left uncut, it will grow into a penis and that FGM enhances fertility and decrease the infant mortality rate. Religious reasons that women undergo this procedure are because of the religious prescripts (“Sunna” in the Koran) that justify FGM, even though it is not authorized by the Islamic or Christianity religions.
Female Genital Mutilation violates human rights. The rights that it violates are; right to be free of all discrimination, right to health, right to life and physical integrity (including freedom from violence). There are some “international instruments” that have been put in place in order to try to eliminate FGM. This includes but not limited to: Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Although there are many different provisions and the simple fact that Female Genital Mutilation violates human rights, there should be a specific law that specifically states that FGM should be prohibited and anyone who violates this will be penalized. This epidemic must be stopped; women are facing serious short and long-term damages, including HIV/AIDS, simply for justification to society that they were not sleeping around before and during their marriage.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is an umbrella term for practices that involve the total or partial cutting of the female genitals; it usually involves women anywhere from infancy all the way up to the age of 40. Although, it is most of the time it is practiced on girls from the ages of 7 to 10. FGM is most prevalent in Africa; eastern, western and north-eastern region, the Middle East, Asia and along with certain groups of immigrants both in North America and Europe.
The four different types of FGM are Clitoridectomy, Excision, Infibulation and other. Clitoridectomy is part or total removal of the clitoris. In rare cases also only removing the prepuce (fold of skin that surrounds the clitoris). Excision is part or total removal of the clitoris along with the labia minora. The labia minor can be excised or not. Infibulation is the narrowing of the opening of the vagina by making a covering seal. Creation of the seal is by cutting and moving the inner/outer labia. This can be done with or without removing the clitoris. Lastly, other includes any other harmful operations that are done to the female genitals that are for non-medical purposes. This includes pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterizing.
There are several different reasons that FGM is performed including, psychosexual, sociological and cultural and religious reasons. The psychosexual reasons that FGM is performed because it keeps control over a women’s sexuality. In theory, FGM is supposed to ensure a women’s virginity before marriage and to stop adultery after marriage. Also it is supposed to increase the sexual pleasure of males. The sociological and cultural reasons are because FGM is viewed as part of the initiation into womanhood along with it being apart of a community’s cultural tradition and its heritage. Other sociological reasons are, myths that if the clitoris is left uncut, it will grow into a penis and that FGM enhances fertility and decrease the infant mortality rate. Religious reasons that women undergo this procedure are because of the religious prescripts (“Sunna” in the Koran) that justify FGM, even though it is not authorized by the Islamic or Christianity religions.
Female Genital Mutilation violates human rights. The rights that it violates are; right to be free of all discrimination, right to health, right to life and physical integrity (including freedom from violence). There are some “international instruments” that have been put in place in order to try to eliminate FGM. This includes but not limited to: Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Although there are many different provisions and the simple fact that Female Genital Mutilation violates human rights, there should be a specific law that specifically states that FGM should be prohibited and anyone who violates this will be penalized. This epidemic must be stopped; women are facing serious short and long-term damages, including HIV/AIDS, simply for justification to society that they were not sleeping around before and during their marriage.
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