Female Genital Mutilation is a major crisis most of the developing world is face today. Most often, this injustice takes place around Africa's confines. Although initially it was a procedure that was swept under the rug, it is just now coming to light not only within Africa, but also internationally.
Female genital mutilation, more commonly known as FGM, is the blanketed term that is used to describe procedures that “involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to he female genital organs for non-medical reasons” (WHO). Fecently though, public health practitioners have dissected the these female cutting activities, and decided it is a major risk not only physically but psychologically to women. The FGM procedures are usually not done in the safest conditions. Most often the procedures are done without the care of any medically trained personnel. This is usually due to poverty and lack of medical facilities. With such awful conditions, the already sketchy procedure is made increasingly less safe.
FGM emerged from the idea that men wanted to control women and their sexuality. In most cultures, women who are able to refuse the procedure are shunned from their community. Female genital mutilation is recognized on the international level as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. The article states that between 100 and 140 million women have undergone such a procedure to date. It also focused more specifically on Nigeria and their alarming procedure rate.
The question to pose though, is how can FGM be put to rest for good. Health professionals submerged in the African culture and ideology have even recognized the extreme consequences of these practices. So how do we break a 2,000 year old practice? How do we convince entire cultures to completely change?
This practice is absolutely horrific. It seems that the only way to stop it would be to go to each group who practices it and teach them about the severe health and mental risks of doing this to women. Not to mention they probably do it without any numbing agent, which is unfathomable to think of.
ReplyDeleteHere's a recent article about the practice in Egypt, where it has been outlawed: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11143144. What do you think can be done to change the practice?
ReplyDeleteAccording to BBC, the ban has been in place since June. This article troubles me to read because obviously the ban is not changing the long held superstitious beliefs that many Egyptian families believe. Such as:
ReplyDelete"If it's not done, a girl will grow to be like a man," whispers a shy young mother, repeating a widely held superstition.
The countries top political powers are taking strong stances against the practice but more harsh punishments need to be acted upon.
A side note as well, I noticed that BBC News includes Egypt as a part of the Middle East and not Africa.
The article says that a considerable number os corps members have proved to be role models in schools where they serve, and so are an easy resource for carrying out an outreach for a worthy cause. Maybe that will influence people to stop the practice, because banning it surely hasn't worked so well. When it comes to culture, societies are much more reluctant to change.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, Jews (I'm sure other rreligions do it, too) to this day circumsise their babies without any medical procedure. Wouldn't that be the same case? Wouldn't that, too, be seen as a violation to human rights? Yet it is seen as a religious and cultural belief, and there is not much talk about it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Fernanda. When it comes to cultural beliefs and practices, a simple blanketed government demand isnt going to changes ideology thats been in place for hundreds of years. What needs to happen is some kind of a world movement that directly addresses the negative and unjust affects of FGM. Maybe then people we change their minds..
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