I would like to get comments about a topic that is very unfamiliar to women in the U.S. The topic is Female Genital Cutting/Mutilation, most commonly known as FGM/C.
Female genital cutting/mutilation is the removal of the female genitalia (clitoris and in some cases, the labia). It is performed with unsterilized instruments and in unclinical settings.
Global Woman has spoken out against FGM/C since the launch of the magazine. We welcome your comments and support in this matter.
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Read "Possessing the Secret of Joy" by Alice Walker. Excellent novel focusing on this subject.
ReplyDeleteFGM is a horrific act that is still being on young women across the globe. It is often justified using words and phrases such as cleanliness, purity, rites of womanhood, traditional, etc. It is gutteral and not of womankind. I believe the basis of FGM is fear of womanhood and the inability of man to control his deepest and darkest desires oftentimes.
Women have always been attacked for their sex and what comes naturally to them; there are some that believe that menstruation is evil, a curse...and these same people believe women to be evil like their originator, Eve. This is absolutely ludicrous. These backward beliefs, wayward traditions and out-dated rites are still prevalent in many areas of the world, and our young girls are suffering because of it.
Do you really believe that young girls desire to be strapped down and mutilated (often beyond repair) to make themselves worthy of a husband or any other male. Wake up, people! Do you really believe that women want to be hidden away from society so as not to temp mankind? Do you really believe that women want to be beaten or stoned for showing themselves in public or on suspicion of having strayed from their husbands or embarrassed male family members? I think not.
FGM is not the invention of womankind, but mankind; it is an instrument used to uphold women's second class citizenship and strip them of their dignity and their true selves.
Knowledge is power, and we need it!
Our society frowns on this practice, and I agree it's wrong. But, a deeper look at cultures worldwide reveals strange ideas of beauty and virtue. Such as binding feet in the Chinese culture (now an outdated practice) or tribes that extend the neck with multiple brass rings.
ReplyDeleteAs modern women in a free thinking society, we can all agree that centuries of tradition and history have these women bound to needless pain and stifled spirits. We are encouraged to express ourselves and use our minds to get ahead in society, therefore we cannot fathom why women are still made to follow these practices.
I looked up FGM and it looks like the Tostan Project in Senegal has been a big help there. And while the Maputo Protocol might help reduce the cases, how is it possible to stop the people who have it done on their young daughters? This is a tough one. The only way you could really confirm the female genitals were intact would be to require women to have periodical exams, which is an invasion of privacy. Or have the female be of a certain age and agree to it after being educated of the reasons you shouldn't do it.