...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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...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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...and without distinction of any kind of race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other 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...
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...Fatima Said, of Americas Top Model, defiantly put female genital cutting in the minds of Americans and people around the world. She opened up a topic that many people had no idea about, and now are very interested in knowing more about. This essay will give a brief history of Somalia (Fatima’s home country), and then it will go into female genital cutting in Somalia. Somalia is a country in eastern Africa. The countries of Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Kenya surround it. Somalis are thought to have been decedents from Africans and Arab people. The main languages in Somalia are Arabic, Italian and English. Islam is practiced through out the region. The majorities of Somalis are livestock herders and cultivate the land that they have. (www.cia.gov). Somalia became independent and its own country in 1960, when it got independence from England and Italy. Somalia has not had a stable government between 1991 and 2000. However, during 2000 a parliamentary government was formed but later on expired in 2003. In 2004, a new parliament was organized and a president was elected- Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed. Since 1991, Somalia has been overwhelmed with chaos and anarchy. Somalia had gone through a difficult time in 1992 when a drought happened in Africa and was combined with a civil war. Somalia went through an intense famine that killed approximately 300,000 people. (www.cia.gov). There were many efforts done by the United Stated and the United Nations to help Somalia get through the drought and...
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...English essay Question: is gender equality ever possible? Question analyze: key words are gender equality, ever, possible. Gender equality is defined as men and women have same rights. Ever is an absolute term. First mean point: it is possible as there are obvious improvement in social area today compare to the past. However, there are improvements does not mean that gender inequality can be totally eliminated. (India gender parity index has improved from 0.464 in 1975 to 0.918 in 2010. ) Second mean point: gender equality is possible as there are measures to protect woman’s rights. However, this is only for those developed country, for those third world countries the sexism still exists, and it is hard to solve due to economic and political problems. Third mean point: the low education level of female in some part of the world make a vicious cycle, thus women unable to gain their rights. (87% of Afghan are illiterate, in India 44.5% of girls are married before the age of 18.) Fourth mean point: it is impossible to eliminate the gender discrimination as it against some races’ religion and culture. (in Africa people believe only women undergoes genital mutilation is pure, and those who does not are less value. In Malaysia, due to their religion, women have to respect their husband and cover most of their bodies. ) Fifth mean point: it is impossible as men and women are born different physically. Women have to give birth to child. In conclusion, gender equality...
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...CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Female circumcision is a traditional practice performed on girl children as part of initiation rituals into adulthood. This inquiry seeks to demystify the secretiveness surrounding this practice, seeking to establish the reasons why female circumcision remains a taboo subject. In doing so, the researcher will attempt to establish the local community’s perception of female circumcision and elucidate some of the reasons practitioners cite as benefits of female circumcision. The research focuses on Mabvuku and Tafara suburbs because there are people of different ethnic groups with varying customs and values that shape their behaviour and way of life. Mabvuku and Tafara have an unusually high concentration of people of Malawian, Mozambican and Zambian origin who migrated to seek work mostly before the Zimbabwean independence. Due to this diversity, women and girls who have undergone female circumcision were interviewed. Mabvuku is a high-density suburb some seventeen kilometres east of Harare. It is classified as a suburb or township of Harare, with the Harare City Council constituting local government. This inquiry is exploratory, descriptive and qualitative in nature, based on interviews with women who had undergone the practice in Mabvuku-Tafara. The inquiry can be termed therefore, a qualitative research done through a case study design. This research method is preferred because the researcher is exploring a subjective understanding of social reality...
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... Lastly, morality is the individual take of what is morality. These ideas is what has ignited debate of the understandings and interpretation of morality. Influential philosophers, consequently, argue on things which are deems absolutely wrong morally. This review inspires to credit Lenn Goodman's contentions. Goodman, in his argument, verifies the continuation of four essential and widespread ideas that are to be considered morally wrong and deemed intolerable in society. Genocide that is politically initiated deprivation and microorganism combat is amongst the first idea presented. The act of terrorism, kidnapping and child labor force as soldiers, is the next idea. Polygamy that encompasses incest and slavery. Finally female genital mutilation and rape is the last category. (Goodman, 2010, p.89). I believe I solemnly agree with the same theories as Goodman. Majority of the cultivated public, in fact, agree to...
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...To What Extent Are Human Rights Universal? Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that ‘all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood’ (The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948). This idea that human rights should be applicable and accessible to all, that they are, in all senses of the word, 'universal', is a topic of debate for many critics in all parts of the world (Tharoor, 1999: 5). The very concept of anything being universal is in itself controversial; can anything in our multicultural, multipolar world ever be ‘truly universal’? This essay aims to evaluate the extent to which human rights are universal, focusing on the imposition of Western norms on Non-Western countries, the cultural relativist view of universal human rights and the defence for human rights as a universal idea. The first hurdle that the idea of universal human rights faces is who defines human rights? Critics such as Michael Ignatieff argue that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a Western document, and that individuals from Non-Western countries are not given the same rights as those in the West (O’Connor, 2014). This is noticeable in the emphasis on individual rights as opposed to communal rights, which are commonly practiced in Non-Western countries. In addition, many of the rights stated are only accessible to the West, such as the right...
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...Home JournalsBooksAbout UsMembershipSubscriptionAllies & FriendsContact us Culture And Child Abuse In Nigeria Charity N. Uzuegbu Department of Social Work, University of Nigeria, Nsukka Abstract Cultural practises have been observed to increase the abuse of children in Nigeria. This paper discusses the effects of cultural practices on the abuse of children in Nigeria. Some of the cultural practices discussed are early marriage, female genital mutilation, and desire for large family size. It was suggested that public enlightenment programmes and free social services should be provided to help control the situation. Introduction The problem of child abuse is very prevalent in the Nigerian society. The problem arose as result of various factors which include economic, social, and cultural. It is accompanied by adverse consequences to the child, family and society. This paper discusses the influence of some of the cultural practices prevalent in Nigeria on child abuse. The aim of the study is to bring to limelight how some cultural practices increase the problem of child abuse in Nigeria, and suggest ways of controlling the situation. Data for the study was collected through the use of participant observation and secondary documents such as previous research works. Child abuse has been defined as the “physical or emotional mistreatment and neglect of children or the sexual exploitation in circumstances for which the parents can be held responsible through acts...
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...questions worth 1 point each, 13 fill in the blank questions worth 6 points each, and an essay question worth 99 points. The total possible points for the exam is 250. All of these questions were taken directly from the textbook, therefore you should not use any other outside source. Since information can sometimes contradict each other, if you use outside sources you run the risk of getting the question wrong even though it may appear correct outside the text. In order to mark the answer you have chosen, please delete all the other letters (i.e. A, B, C, D) except the one you have chosen. There should only be one letter chosen for each multiple choice question. If you have forgotten this or there is more than one answer chosen, it will be marked as incorrect. For fill in the blank questions and short answers, please write your answer in the space provided here in the exam. Once you are finished with the exam, please upload it to the week nine ‘final exam’ assignment section of the class. Absolutely no late exams will be accepted for any reason. Please make sure it is uploaded by 11:59pm Arizona time on 5/11/2014. 1). What are the three building blocks in Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love? 1.) Intimacy 2.) Passion 3.) Commitment 2). In examining patterns of marital sexuality across cultures, which of the following has been found across cultures? B) Male dominance and female submission 3.) According to research on bisexuality, all of the following statements...
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...TITLE OF THE ESSAY : Child Labour : The Abuse of Girl Child * Siddharth Sharma (2ND YEAR B.A.LLB STUDENT AT NLIU, BHOPAL) TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 2. WHY A GIRL CHILD GETS MORE VICTIMIZED? 3. SEXUAL ABUSE AND CHILD LABOUR? 4. DO WE HAVE A SOLUTION? INTRODUCTION “Born to parents who themselves were uneducated child workers, many child worker are forced to continue a tradition that leaves them chained to a life of poverty” Child labour violates a nation’s minimum age laws, threatens children’s physical, mental, or emotional well-being, involves intolerable abuse, such as child slavery, child trafficking, debt bondage, forced labor, or illicit activities, prevents children from going to school and above all, uses children to undermine labor standards. In this regard The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act was enacted in 1986. The constitution of India also recognizes the right of children and safeguards their right to survival, protection and development. Article 14 of the constitution bestows right to equality. Article 15(3) empowers state to make special provision in favour of children. Article 23 prohibits traffic in human being. Article 14 prohibits employment of children below 14 years in any factory or mine or hazardous occupation. Article 39 prohibits abuse and exploitation. Article 45 provides compulsory education up to 14 years. India has recently finally left the company of seven other countries that still legally permit...
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...Position paper From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia A position paper is an essay that presents an opinion about an issue, typically that of the author or another specified entity; such as a political party. Position papers are published in academia, in politics, in law and other domains. Position papers range from the simplest format of a letter to the editor through to the most complex in the form of an academic position paper. Position papers are also used by large organizations to make public the official beliefs and recommendations of the group. In academia Position papers in academia enable discussion on emerging topics without the experimentation and original research normally present in an academic paper. Commonly, such a document will substantiate the opinions or positions put forward with evidence from an extensive objective discussion of the topic. In politics Position papers are most useful in contexts where detailed comprehension of another entity's views is important; as such, they are commonly used by political campaigns, government organizations, in the diplomatic world, and in efforts to change values (e.g. through public service announcements) and organisational branding. They are also an important part of the Model United Nations process. In government, a position paper lies somewhere between a white paper and a green paper in that they affirm definite opinions and propose solutions but may not go so far as detailing specific plans for implementation...
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...in the contemporary society and an important dimension in the design and analysis of social and economic development policies. These development concerns have brought about gender issues at the forefront of national and international agenda. During the 1990's, the gender issue continued to follow the historical trend by being one of the most popular themes of debates. The Human Development Report, (1995) posits that the number of women is greater than or equal to that of men, in today's society, yet females are still considered as a minority segment of the population. As a measure to redress gender inequalities, approaches by feminist movements, such as Women in Development (WID), were crafted but not much was achieved. Later, it was Women and Development (WAD) and lastly Gender and Development (GAD). It seems deep-rooted gender inequality still exists globally, despite substantial national and international measures that have been taken towards gender equality. This essay deliberates on the assertion that, “Gender equality is debatable: what is undebatable is the attempt to make it universally applicable.” The writer agrees to a greater extent that gender equality is a controversial issue basing on the multiplicity of societies that it is applied to. The fact that there is no universal culture, universal religion or universal ideology makes the whole issue arguable, ence, the need to degenderise gender. Definition of Key Terms Keating, (2004:9) defines gender as...
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...from other kids of her age, Walker began to write poems. Hence, her career as a writer began. Walker found the love of her life in 1967, a white activist civil rights lawyer named Mel Leventhal, and they married him in 1967. A year later she gave birth to their daughter, Rebecca. It was not until she began teaching that her writing career really took off. She began teaching at Jackson State, then Tougaloo, and finally at Wellesley College. Walker was involved in the Civil Rights Movement and spoke for the women’s movement, the anti-apartheid movement, for the anti-nuclear movement, and against female genital mutilation. She also started her own publishing company: “The Wild Trees Press”, in 1984. Walker refused to ignore the tangle of personal and political themes and produced five novels, two collections of short stories, numerous volumes of poetry, and two books of essays that address such issues. She won fame and recognition in many countries but did not lose her sense of rootedness in the South. She also recognized her mother as showing her the...
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...THE PROTOCOL ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND PEACE BUILDING IN AFRICA Protocol refers to an international agreement that adds to an existing international instrument. Ratification refers to a formal action under international law that makes a state a party to particular treaty and indicates a state’s consent to be bound by the treaty The African union protocol is an African law made by Africans for Africans and it does among other things call for: * An end to all forms of violence against women in all its forms and in all situations * It promotes the use of corrective measures (Affirmative action) for women’s equal participation and representation. In elected and appointive offices * It clearly provides for the reproductive health rights of women and girls * It provides for remedies for any woman whose rights and freedoms are violated and denied * It also entitles her to seek and obtain redress through accessible government and non governmental agencies mechanisms and services Defending women’s human rights is often seen by state authorities, and even by communities, as a challenge to culture, tradition and a way of life. Through their work, many directly or indirectly challenge social stereotypes regarding the proper role and status of women. As a result, women activists not only face repression by governments, but also by their families and other community members. Ongoing armed conflicts on the continent place women at even further risk of violence...
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