Female genital mutilation

Female circumcision, officially known as female genital mutilation, is one of the most political areas of women's health. Worldwide it is estimated that well over 100 million women have been subjected to it.
Supporters of the practice say it is done for cultural and religious reasons, but opponents say that not only is it potentially life-threatening - it is also an extreme form of oppression of women.

Those who persist in the practice in Senegal will now face a prison term of between one and five years.

Female circumcision is mainly carried out in western and southern Asia, the Middle East and large areas of Africa.

It is also known to take place among immigrant communities in the USA, Canada, France, Australia and Britain, where it is illegal.

In total it is estimated that two million a year are subjected to genital mutilation.

There are three main types of circumcision:


The removal of the tip of the clitoris;
Total removal of the clitoris and surrounding labia;
The removal of the clitoris and labia and the sewing up of the vagina, leaving only a small opening for urine and menstrual blood - a process known as infibulation.
So drastic is the mutilation involved in the latter operation that young brides have to be cut open to allow penetration on their wedding night and are customarily sewn up afterwards.

The aim of the process is to ensure the woman is faithful to her future husband. Some communities consider girls ineligible for marriage if they have not been circumcised.

Girls as young as three undergo the process, but the age at which the operation is performed varies according to country and culture.

Health workers say that the operation is often carried out in unsanitary conditions.

Razor blades, scissors, kitchen knives and even pieces of glass are used, often on more than one girl, which increases the risk of infection.

Anaesthesia is rarely used.

Some girls die as a result of haemorraging, septicemia and shock.

It can also lead to long-term urinary and reproductive problems.

However, girls who have not been circumcised are considered "unclean" in many cultures, and can be treated as harlots by other women. Many men believe the folklore which says they will die if their penis touches a clitoris.

Campaigns are working
Female circumcision is part of the fabric of many African societies
Due to health campaigns, female circumcision has been falling in some countries in the last decade. In Kenya, a 1991 survey found that 78% of teenagers had been circumcised, compared to 100% of women over 50. In Sudan, the practice dropped by 10% between 1981 and 1990.

Several governments have introduced legislation to ensure the process is only carried out in hospitals by trained doctors.

Other countries such as Egypt have banned the operation altogether, but there is significant opposition to change because of the traditional nature of the process and health workers think a less confrontational approach, such as Ntanira Na Mugambo, could be more successful.

Ntanira Na Mugambo, also known as 'circumcision by words', has been developed in rural areas of Kenya by local and international women's health organisations.

It involves a week-long programme of community education about the negative effects of female genital mutilation, culminating in a coming of age ceremony for young women.

The young women are secluded for a week and undergo classes in reproduction, anatomy, hygiene, respect for adults, developing self-esteem and dealing with peer pressure.

Family members also undergo health education sessions and men in the community are taught about the negative effects of female circumcision.

Health workers believe the programme works because it does not exert a blunt prohibition on female genital mutilation, but offers an attractive alternative.

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Fatwas published:
Fatwas are published opinions by Muslim religious scholars. They are non-binding in law. But Muslim believers are expected to follow them. In Egypt, a number of Fatwas have been issued by the influential Egyptian Fatwa Committee on FGM:

1949-MAY-28: They decided that it is not a sin to reject female circumcision.
1951-JUN-23: They stated that female circumcision is desirable because it curbs "nature" (i.e. sexual drive among women). It stated that medical concerns over the practice are irrelevant. 1981-JAN-29: The Great Sheikh of Al-Azhar (the most famous University of the Islamic World) stated that parents must follow the lessons of Mohammed and not listen to medical authorities because the latter often change their minds. Parents must do their duty and have their daughters circumcised.


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why would you want to curb a womans nature (sexual drive)?
How many people here can honestly put they're hands up and say they agree with this barbaric practice? I for one belive that if it is done then the person and the perants of the child should go to prison for at least 10yrs? so is it right/wrong and who agrees with it?

 

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For us Westerners it seems a barbaric and inhumane practice and I believe that it is, but for the cultures that do practice it, probably the worst thing about it is the lack of sanitary and anaesthisia measures. I don't mean to downplay the significance of the fact that women are rendered incapable of enjoying sex, which is a fundamental human right in my opinion, but if their cultures, through religious and peer pressures actually condone and accept this practice, then they will continue to do it and probably feel proud of the fact.

It is only through higher education and wider awareness of human rights that the people involved in this cruelty will begin to rebel against it, but such is easier said than done, when it is so firmly embedded in their culture and psyche.

 

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circumcision...it's a cultural thing.

 

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yeah but when a man has his fore skin cut it doesnt make him not enjoy sex anymore. he can still orgasm a woman cant

 

yeah well...I havent circumcised, nor do I tell others to. If its inevitable...its inevitable.

 

I think we should invade those countries and force them to do things our way!! And if they don't, we should shoot 'em.

Baron Max

 

"Our way" or just ask the girls what they want?

 

the girls in Iraq were asked if being beaten by their husbands is the way of Allah and is right...they said it was the right way of things.

 

Yep, and the women in Afghanistan said the very same thing ...that it was okay for the men to beat them if that's what they wanted to do.

Baron Max

 

As this article states, sometimes these parts can be large and unsightly.

 

In Egypt, both Christians and Muslims have their daughters circumcised. What I find interesting is, whereas 2000 years of monotheism did nothing to prevent this despicable practice (actually encouraging it), the secular authorities have now made the practice illegal. That took 2 or 3 years.

 

Ok, what about circumcision?

 

This thread is subject of Anthropology more than Religion, i.e. it is more suitable to Human Science forum, IMHO.
But, I will leave decision to Religion forum moderators.

 

First of all, clitoral stimulation is not the only possible way for a woman to orgasm.
Aside from that, there are many people in the world that view sex for pleasure as a sin.
They believe that sex is for procreation only, and are proud to uphold the traditions of their religion and culture.
There are quite a lot of people that would say a woman who would be so upset about not being able to orgasm through has an unhealty obsession with sex and should be more pious and devote herself to the service of her God.

I am not saying that I agree with this practice, mind you - I think it is one more way for women to be oppressed, but who am I and who are you to tell them that thousands of years of their history, culture, beliefs and tradition are "wrong"?

 

it's not?....what other ways are there?

 

female circumsision in Islam

For most of us it is very ugly to digest but after all the research I found there to be a hadith( saying of Prophet Muhammed) about female circumcision to be an honor. Alo, I want to state that it is a weak Hadith.. (saying of the Prophet), but there is no evidence of it in Quraan.

I do agree that it is barbaric and a heinous act...
also that it is quite prevalent in Egypt... and the religious fanatics or oppressors are the ones passing on fatwas ( rulings).. they need to be punished..

 

i sugest you all try to get ahold of an artical that ways on the 7:30 report on the ABC. Where it spoke to women who had, had it done ect. All of the women on the program actually said THEY were the one who made the decision for there daughters not the father. I find it facinated that this is concidered "a sign of male subjectation of women" when MGM is not concided "women subjecting men"

 

It's a common myth that males push for female circumcision. Quite the contrary, the males are usually apathetic or against it (who wants to have sex with a cold fish?). It's the females who push for it.

Why? Researchers of sociology postulate that in male dominated societies, sex is one of the few means women can use to control/influence men. Hence, if women start to enjoy sex too much, they will give it too frequently. This will reduce the overall bargaining power of women.

As a member of sciforums recently asked "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?"

 

Here's a relevant article. It's a fantastic read, if you're interested in the underlying cultural reasons for FGM: http://www.psy.fsu.edu/~baumeistertice/baumeistertwenge2002.pdf

 

I don't agree with the practice of female circumcision. I think its funny that people say women who have been circumcised can not enjoy sex, but if you ask them most of them say that they have very satisfying sex lives and do enjoy sex. One woman said that these women were just delusional and did not know what real what sex was supposed to feel like and just imagined that they enjoyed sex. How could she know? If she isn't circumcised then how does she or any other woman who likes to judge know what they feel? My friend has been circumcised and she can still have orgasms (at least that what she says).