...Female genital mutilation (FGM) WHAT is FGM? Female genital mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. Procedures Female genital mutilation is classified into four major types. 1. Clitoridectomy: partial or total removal of the clitoris (a small, sensitive and erectile part of the female genitals) and, in very rare cases, only the prepuce (the fold of skin surrounding the clitoris). 2. Excision: partial or total removal of the clitoris and the labia minora, with or without excision of the labia majora (the labia are "the lips" that surround the vagina). 3. Infibulation: narrowing of the vaginal opening through the creation of a covering seal. The seal is formed by cutting and repositioning the inner, or outer, labia, with or without removal of the clitoris. 4. Other: all other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes, e.g. pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterizing the genital area. WHO Who is at risk? Procedures are mostly carried out on young girls sometime between infancy and age 15, and occasionally on adult women. In Africa, about three million girls are at risk for FGM annually. Between 100 to 140 million girls and women worldwide are living with the consequences of FGM. In Africa, about 92 million girls age 10 years and above are estimated to have undergone FGM. WHERE ...
Words: 1197 - Pages: 5
...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...
Words: 1097 - Pages: 5
...Female genital mutilation, also known as female circumcision, or female genital cutting, has been practiced for several thousand years in almost 30 African and Middle Eastern nations. The World Health Organization estimates between 100 and 132 million women and girls worldwide have been subjected to female genital mutilation and an estimated 2 million are at risk each year. Every day innocent girls go through excruciating pain every day without even knowing why. Some die and others are cursed to live a life full of health complications. Female genital mutilation currently occurs in 28 African countries and is found among some ethnic groups is Yemen, Oman, and the United Emirates, as well as parts of Malaysia and Indonesia. Within practicing African countries, prevalence ranges from 5% to almost 100% of women affected (Female Genital Mutilation). There are also increasingly found in Europe, Australia, Canada, and the USA, primarily among immigrants from these countries. female genital mutilation is illegal in most western countries, and , now, in many African nations, although laws are ignored and it is still practiced, either secretly in private homes or clinics, or by sending unsuspecting girls back to the parent’s home country for a “vacation”, to get circumcised. Female genital mutilation involves the removal of genital tissues from girls and it is performed in different ways, depending on the culture or location where it takes place. When women have their babies, they...
Words: 401 - Pages: 2
...I am sickened by the thought of female genital mutilation. I do not understand how and why it is done to women. I understand that cultures are different and in some, this is okay, but honestly, it makes no sense to me. I was so surprised to read that data was collected regarding female genital mutilation in 29 countries. Is that not a lot? Too many even? There are so many things that could go wrong at the time or even in the future for these young women. Problem with childbirth, infertility, extreme amounts of pain, and many more. The article does mention that many of the countries that have a history of this tradition now favor ending the practice. But just because they favor the idea of ending the tradition, does not mean that it will end....
Words: 396 - Pages: 2
...Maria Lwantale Stephanie Wilhelm English 112 April 20, 2013 Genital mutilation: Negotiating Human Rights and Culture! I come from a small country called Uganda. We perform certain acts not because we want to, but as culture dictates. I remember being oblivious to genital mutilation, but all this changed during my years in high school because I attended boarding school. As adolescents, we enjoyed talking about our sexuality and bodies. One sunny Saturday evening, as we sat down in our dormitory, one of the girls asked if anyone had under gone genital mutilation just like her. Diana yelled out loud: “It was one of the most embarrassing and painful experiences I have ever gone through.” She said that it is held in a group setting and the act involves cutting off one’s labia minora. I was in total dismay! My family chose to stubbornly ignore certain cultural acts and this is one I am happy to have skipped judging from the information I know right now. The second time I heard of it was during my last year in high school. We had a social studies class that everyone used to enjoy so much because it had some very interesting topics. Interesting and controversial topics just like female genital mutilation. The topic at hand one chilly morning was female genital mutilation. I was prone to being absent minded and being mentally absent from class. Just hearing the three words woke me up. Ms. Kelly Miti described it as the cutting off of a few of a woman’s sexual parts which I found...
Words: 3711 - Pages: 15
...Female Gentile Mutilation (FGM) Female Gentile Mutilation (FGM) is a practice or tradition that involves partially or completely removing the external genitalia of girls and young women for nonmedical reasons. It is illegal in many countries but first started taking place and is still currently in practice in some African countries as well as within the Middle East. This act affects young girls between infancy and age 15, the procedure is a problem because it offers absolutely no health benefits for girls and women. The earliest record of FGM was made by Strabo, the Greek geographer and history specialist who reported a circumcision on young Egyptian girls in 25BC. Then again, it is trusted that FGM was happening a few centuries before this, and was spread by dominant tribes and civilizations as a result of tribal, ethnic, and cultural allegiances. In some countries, FGM is a rite of passage, which signifies a young lady's move to womanhood and her status to wed. FGM in many communities is believed to reduce a woman's desire to have sex and is also supposed to help her oppose sexual acts. At the point when a vaginal opening is covered, the fear of it opening and the fear of it being discovered is what scares young girls away from committing sexual acts. There is also a belief in some cases that a woman's genitalia is ugly or unclean. Aside from the pain and distress involved in the procedure at the time, there can also be long-term health consequences involving infertility...
Words: 693 - Pages: 3
...Female Genital Mutilation (also incorrectly known as “female circumcision”) is an extreme cultural practice prevalent in much of North and West Africa as well as in parts of the Middle East and Asia, in which young women and girls are forced to undergo a procedure that alters or rather, mutilates their reproductive organs. Although Female Genital Mutilation, or FGM, is seen in many cultures as a way to promote purity and chastity, this paper will argue that it is in fact a reflection of the “deep-rooted inequality between sexes, and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women.” (WHO, 2014) Female Genital Mutilation is defined by any procedure that alters the exterior parts of a female’s reproductive organ. The literature describes four main types of FGM. The first type is called clitoridectomy. In this process surgery involves the full or partial removal of the clitoris. A second type is called excision and this occurs when the clitoris is also fully or partially removed. In addition, the labia minora is removed leaving just the labia majora intact. Infibulation is the most severe form of FGM and occurs when a seal is formed over the opening of the vagina by removing the inner or outer labia. A small hole is left for the passage of menstrual fluid and urine. The hole is...
Words: 1791 - Pages: 8
...Female circumcision is also known, more accurately, as female genital mutilation and female genital cutting (FGC.) There are three forms of FGC. The first is a clitoridectomy, the cutting and/or removal of the hood of the clitoris and all or part of the clitoris. The second is an excision which removes the clitoris, the hood, and the labia minor (the inner folds of the vulva that is responsible for producing lubrication.) The infibulation is the third and most radical which also removes everything in the excision along with the labia majora, the outer folds of the vulva. Once removed the sides of the vulva are sewn together leaving a small hole (about pencil size) for the flow of menstruation and urine. The tradition of FGC dates back more...
Words: 1379 - Pages: 6
...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...
Words: 1155 - Pages: 5
...Should Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) be banned? Female genital mutilation or circumcision is referred to as the removal of part, or all of the female genitalia. This involves the cutting of the clitoris (a small sensitive and erectile part of the female genitals) and the two sides of the vulva and the labia majora are fused together by blood clot, leaving small opening to the vagina for passing of urine and menstrual blood. This practice is harmful, purposeless and has many side effects that cause women pain and suffering for the rest of their lives, so I believe that it should be banned for the safety and protection of women. One of the effects of female genital mutilation (FGM) or circumcision is, it leads to risk of life threatening complications. Since the operators do many circumcisions at one time, there is a very large likelihood that girls will contract horrible diseases like HIV and hepatitis because the operators are not well develop, therefore they use the same unsterilized tool on the girls. They may also suffer severe bleeding at the time of the procedure...
Words: 564 - Pages: 3
...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...
Words: 494 - Pages: 2
...Colleen Sisson Anthropology Cultural Traditions Introduction and Research Question Female genital circumcision is something that I have recently been introduced to just this past year. I was completely unaware of this practice and I find it very interesting that male circumcision is so widely recognized in our culture yet this practice is seen to be as such a horrifying practice. It is interesting that there are so many different types and varying degrees of female “infibulation” or circumcision. Being interested the healthcare field and having learned about the cultural aspects of this procedure, I am more accepting of it because as healthcare providers it is important to be culturally competent in our care. This is a very sensitive subject because it is a cultural difference but it is also a potential for harm to allow the continuing or “reinfibulating” of the patient especially after a female undergoes childbirth. Healthcare providers are taught the ethical principle of non-maleficence which is to “do no harm” and when there is research to show that this procedure can be harmful, it is a conflict of autonomy. Autonomy is the principle that teaches us to respect our patient’s rights to make their own independent decisions about their healthcare. The main question posed here would be whether or not there could be acceptance of this female genital mutilation among the western cultures. Defining FGM..what it is..who does it…why do they do it and justify it…what is the...
Words: 727 - Pages: 3
...There is a growing issue with Female Genital Mutilation for young girls around the world. This topic blatantly violates basic human rights but still seems to be the cause of controversy among various cultures. Female Genital Mutilation has been discussed amongst the highest human rights organizations such as World Health Organization, Against Harmful Traditional Practices, and Daughter’s of Eve. While Female Genital Mutilation is illegal in most parts of the world, there are around 18 countries that have little to no regulations against FGM. The practicing of FGM occurs mostly in developing countries, which can stretch across northern Africa, southeast Asia and the middle east. As more and more countries start to outlaw FGM, the question of whether or not new laws prohibiting the practice of FGM is interfering with religious freedom or should push down their cultural belief to stand up for human rights rises. Although it is critical that we recognize other tradition and cultures, the line is surely crossed when we sit back and witness the horrific ways certain cultures try to control women. Defined by the World Health Organization, Female Genital Mutilation,...
Words: 1145 - Pages: 5
...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...
Words: 1215 - Pages: 5
...Female genital Mutilation (FGM) is a procedure that involves the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons according to the United Nations General Assembly, Interagency Statement on Elimination Female Genital Mutilation. There are different types of FMG and have different procedures involved. This practice is carried out in various parts of the world such as in an Africa, Asia and the Middle East. It is performed on female of all ages starting from infant. According to World Health Organization, between hundred and hundred-forty million girls and women has gone through FGM worldwide. Also, in the majority of the cases, girls that are under age of fifteen...
Words: 1159 - Pages: 5
