...religious practices worldwide, from the Japanese tea ceremony, to circumcision in underdeveloped countries. These customs, have been around for centuries and continue to be important aspects of everyday life. However, as today's society continues to progress, these traditions are questioned. The dreadful reality and unjust qualities of the practices have been revealed, as more information and research is conducted. Circumcision is a custom, highly common amongst women in 3rd world countries, and is used for numerous cases. Circumcision is the surgical process of removing skin surrounding the tip of a newborn male sexual organ. This surgical process is legal, and commonly safe in different parts of the world, including the United States and other developed countries. “For some families, circumcision is a religious ritual. Circumcision can also be a matter of family tradition, personal hygiene or preventive health care.” Circumcision may be a risky process, but the benefits far exceed the risks if done properly. Improved hygienics, is a huge beneficial factor of male circumcision. The process makes it easier for males to cleanse...
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...Mutilation Page 1 Female Genital Mutilation Denena White Soc 121 Marnie Carroll August 13, 2012 Mutilation Page 2 Female Genital Mutilation Female genital mutilation is a cultural practice that is cruel and violent. This cultural procedure is performed on infants, young girls, and women of certain cultures. The utilitarianism theory would claim this cultural practice unethical because it does not achieve the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people. The deontology theory will claim this cultural practice unethical because the action is wrong and dangerous according to medical studies. Female genital mutilation has no medical benefits, only severe dangers. Therefore, there should be laws preventing this procedure being practiced on infants and young girls. It should only be allowed to be performed on willing, consenting adults who are fully aware of the risks they are taking by following through with the procedure. Female genital circumcision originated in Africa and is now practiced in 28 African countries. It is also practiced in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and India. It is a cultural...
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...‘heinous’ and ‘unjust’. The most shared problem is that which such practice creates a situation where lives of people are put at risk. An eminent practice which is taken into attention is female genital mutilation. This writing shall discuss clashes between human rights and cultural relativism with my personal stance about these two ethical dilemmas. Female genital mutilation is considered as unlawful act by many people while in several cultures it is a common cultural practice. “Female circumcision is mainly carried out in western and southern Asia, the Middle East and large areas of Africa” (bacquet, 2009). In several cultures, some elderly women carry out these practices without any medical backing. It is a shared practice in many cultures with a belief that it makes a girl clean, beautiful and to kill the erotic longings before they get married. Moving on, female genital mutilation is said to rear conflicts amid human rights and cultural relativism. Female circumcision violates human rights because each human being is born to live and make their personal decisions. However at it is also a religious act so one cannot just overlook their religious norms and values. According to African Women’s Organization female genital mutilation has many immoral effects. It causes injuries to the female genital organs which results in bleeding, urinary problem, and infertility (Organisation, 2011). According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the following articles of rights describe...
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...million women alive today have been affected by FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) (Krupa, 2017). Female Genital Mutilation is often referred to as Female circumcision. While the name Female Circumcision makes you think of the standard Government regulated practice of Male circumcision, the two procedures are so different they should not even be compared (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2012). First, Female Genital Mutilation is not a regulated practice, that is why the practice of FGM is illegal and is considered a felony in the United States (Wikipedia the free encyclopedia, 2018). There is typically no licensed medical professional present when the procedure is being performed, and the procedures are not typically performed in a medical...
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...the past 60 years, Female genital mutilation (FGM), the process of altering female genitalia, has been condemned by the Western world for a being an inhuman and oppressive tradition in need of abolishment. At the age of puberty, women living in communities that practice FGM are subject to a forced circumcision procedure that often leads to lifelong physical and psychological implications. As such, anti-FGM discourse universalises the image of the ‘normal” female body by framing female circumcision as a barbaric human rights violation. In doing so, the Western world often fails to acknowledge the practice’s deep rooted cultural significance that have made women “prisoners of ritual”. It will be argued that in order to adequately resolve...
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...Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and male circumcision are two procedures that are practiced in several cultures, and do not always give the male or female a say in the matter. There is a big debate regarding which practice, FGM or male circumcision is worse for the individual to endure. Even though there is much speculation, both continue to be implemented across many cultures. For example, in Africa, especially in Sudan, FGM is practiced and other cultures such as Judaism, practice male circumcision. Although many cultures require these practices, it is necessary to establish that there are many health risks associated with both. FGM has four ways it can be performed, while male circumcision is the removal of the foreskin and there is only one way to go about it. Although female genital mutilation and male circumcision are typically performed...
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...Female genital mutilation is a horrendous injustice that occurs everyday in this world. Female genital mutilation is wrong for several reasons. It is wrong because women can experience physical health consequences, psychological health consequences and it is a form of gender discrimination. In societies that practice female genital mutilation women will never be considered equal they will always be considered below men. According to the World Health Organization, “Female genital mutilation constitutes all procedures which involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs whether for cultural or any other non-therapeutic reasons.” Firstly, female genital mutilation causes serious health problems to women who have been mutilated. Women who have the most sever mutilation will suffer from health problems for their whole lives. The procedure is often carried out with crude tools used for mutilating the genitalia. Examples of these tools are scissors, scalpels, pieces of glass, or razor blades (World Health Organization). In addition, the mutilation usually occurs in an unsanitary room. These unsanitary conditions can lead to the spread of HIV and infections of the genitalia and surrounding areas. Anesthetics are rarely used and relatives must hold down the female screaming in pain while she is being mutilated. On account of this severe pain the female usual goes into shock, the massive blood loss does not help either. Female...
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...Female Genital Mutilation also known as FGM or female cutting is the purposeful injury to a female’s external sex organs (Female). Greek documents originating from 183 BC mention “female circumcision” being performed in ancient Egypt (Female). Therefore, many scholars believe that is where early forms of FGM began (Female). FGM is practiced in over 20 countries currently and has even made its way to developed countries like Canada and the United States (Pauls). Female Genital Mutilation cannot be linked to any early religions but is strictly performed as a cultural practice (Pauls). There are a total of four types of FGM, all of which involve removal of the clitoris and vary in different amounts of removal of other internal organs like the prepuce along with the labia moria and mojora (Pauls). It has been estimated that up to 125 million females have been circumcised today; in Africa, an annual amount of three million are at risk of being cut every year (Cloward 381). The systemic downfall of Female Genital Mutilation is a process still in the making. Policy makers and activists everywhere are slowly trying to breakdown the social norms of their countries and the cultural perceptions of what FGM is (Cloward 386). Female Genital Mutilation results in countless physical and mental injuries for women every...
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...options. However, many people have always suffered from the lack of them throughout history. Both foot binding and female circumcision are good examples of violation of the human rights. In the essays “Footbinding” by John King Fairbank and “Female Circumcision: Rite of Passage or Violation of Rights” by Frances A. Althaus, the authors described each tradition as a violation of human rights. In today’s life there still many violations against human rights. Women and children are the ones who suffered the most. In a world where male-dominated society still exist, and discrimination, both men and women nearly have no rights for their better lives because of lower education. Female Circumcision or Genital Mutilation (what it must be called), it has been practiced in most of the countries in Africa. The practice of this “tradition,” according to Frances A. Althaus, “is one element of a rite of passage preparing young girls for womanhood and marriage” (Althaus 242). This practice is a complete form of gender discrimination. To all of the societies in Africa, Genital Mutilation is an integral part in social context. Actually, it gives complete authority and control of the female sexuality to the man. Just like Althaus’ article says, “girls receive little education…” (Althaus 246). That “education” is not enough to make the young girls learn more about what it is the circumcision. In most of the villages, girls are educated in a way to make them believe that if they do not do it, their children...
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...Female Genital Mutilation Susie Smith A women’s body is a masterpiece. It is a beautifully shaped and very fascinating. There so many things to study and look at it because it is very unique. As little girls grow up they do not understand much about there own anatomy. However girls learn what their body will develop into by looking at the mother. Young girls also learn about there bodies by feeling different sensations and asking questions. The perfect individual to ask about a woman’s body is a woman. A woman knows her own body better than anyone else does. Woman explore by looking at themselves, feeling themselves, and studying the female anatomy. As girls grow up they turn into women and there bodies develop. It is fascinating how many positive things people can do to a woman’s body and yet shocking of all the negative things that can be done to the body as well. One negative procedure that can be done to a women’s body is female genital mutilation. Because female genital mutilation procedures harm women psychologically and physically, it should be banned all over the world. For many years female genital mutilation procedures have been done on many women. According to the Boston Women’s Health Book Collective, authors of Our Bodies, Ourselves, female genital mutilation is a procedure and “it involves cutting parts of the external genitals of girls or young women as a rite of passage into womanhood and to curb sexuality” (646). It is used to prevent women from having...
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...Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology Vol. 4(5), pp. 117-122, May 2012 Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/JPHE DOI: 10.5897/JPHE11.194 ISSN 2141-2316 ©2012 Academic Journals Full Length Research Paper Female genital mutilation in Southeast Nigeria: A survey on the current knowledge and practice Ibekwe Perpetus C.*, Onoh Robinson C, Onyebuchi Azubike K., Ezeonu Paul O. and Ibekwe Rosemary O. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Federal Medical Centre, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. Accepted 9 April, 2012 Female genital mutilation (FGM) has been recognised as a major reproductive health problem and a dehumanising practice that has resisted change especially in developing countries. The study reviews the current knowledge and practice of FGM in Southeast Nigeria. This is a questionnaire based descriptive study involving women of reproductive age in Abakaliki, South east Nigeria. A semistructured questionnaire was distributed to 320 women by simple random sampling. Information sought included the socio-demographic characteristics, and personal information on FGM with regards to knowledge and practice. Two hundred and sixty (81.3%) were appropriate for analysis. The mean age of the respondents was 28.6 years ± 5.4 SD. Most had formal education, with tertiary education contributing 60.8%. A high percentage was aware of FGM, and the problem associated with it was 91 and 72%, respectively. Half of the respondents (49.6%) were genitally mutilated while almost the...
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...The humane or inhumane practice of Female Genital Mutilation is a major issue at hand. The earliest record of FGM goes back as far as a thousand years ago. For as long as it has taken place, its humane and inhumane topic have been questioned tremendously. FGM is a medical procedure that puts females at stake physically and mentally, and if not advocated against it shall put more females at stake because it will continue to escalate. The practice of FGM is a harmful procedure supported by male dominated societies; to protect the lives and health of women throughout the world, our society needs to advocate against this ethically unsound and inhumane practice. The Desert Flower Foundation was founded by Waris Dirie (a survivor of Female Genital...
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...When is the inhuman act of slashing women’s genital going to stop? Female circumcision also known as female genital mutilation, is an ongoing inhuman act and violation of women’s right happening in the universe but mostly in Africa. Some people are not aware or familiar with this practice but I believe it’s very important to know what it is because it is the removal of female’s genital that is being practiced in most parts of the world. Female genital mutilation consists of three types one of which is type one which is commonly known as the Sunna circumcision where they just remove part of the clitoris. Type two is when they remove the entire clitoris and even going ahead to remove some of the labia minora. Lastly, type three is when they infibulate...
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...Africa: Female Genital Mutilation GEO102B: Final Project May 20, 2013 Female circumcision seems to be the hottest trend in the United States right now. Females are having the hood of their clitorises removed to gain greater sexual pleasure and sensation. Another type of female circumcision done in the United States, which is considered cosmetic, is having the labia reshaped and evened up. According to Sandra Bell, there are unsubstantiated reports that some women in the United States are in communities where an extreme form of female circumcision is the ritual sacrifice of the entire external clitoris (Bell, 2012). In Africa an estimated 114 million women and girls have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM), that consists of partial or total removal of the external female genitalia (WHO, 2012). In Africa those procedures are not done for pleasurable or cosmetic reasons. FGM is internationally recognized as a violation of the human rights of girls and women in Africa. Before we label female circumcision a trend, we need to be informed of what FGM is considered in other countries, why it’s done, and what is being done to eliminate this practice. FGM is mostly practiced in the western, eastern, and north-eastern regions of Africa. It was a part of the tribal coming of age and remains, a cultural, not a religious practice. It is highly controversial and condemned by most religious organizations. FGM is practiced in many forms. Listed...
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...Sonia Grover’s article primarily concerns female genital mutilations. The article begins by discussing society’s changing attitude towards male circumcision in recent years. She explains that in Australia male circumcisions have been declining since the 1950’s. Glover notes that currently only 10% of Australia’s males undergo circumcision and then explains how this decline in male circumcisions is a general trend around the world. The author believes the decline in male circumcision is due to the community recognizing that there are many health risks associated with the procedure and no health advantages, although some still undergo the procedure for cultural and religious reasons. Glover continues by explaining that the slow change in attitudes towards male circumcision in Australia is also likely to occur for female genital mutilation (FGM) around the world. She uses the World Health Organization’s definition of FGM as “all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons” (p 614). Many adult women who have undergone FGM prefer for it to be called female genital cutting or female circumcision (FGC) out of respect for their culture and traditions. The author notes that between 130–140 million women and girls have undergone FGC procedures. These procedures range from minor, such as cutting of the clitoris, to severe, such as joining the labia majora or completely removing...
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