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 pretty irritating. She stated that the act is often done to control the sexual urge among girls undergoing puberty to keep them chaste and to uphold fidelity among those that are married. With this knowledge on the topic, I started paying more attention to it if it was talked about in public, radio or written about in newspapers.
My paper will discuss female genital mutilation and show whether it is a cultural obligation that needs to be upheld or it is actually a violation of women rights. The opponents of the practice say it is a cultural necessity, while the opponents state that it is a violation of women rights because it causes tremendous pain, trauma and yet no practical importance was found in it. I will explain why culture should be a want rather than an obligation while describing its effects on the rights of women. I was born and raised in Africa which is the root for the act. This act has been around for generations and generations. I do not know the exact time when it was started but I know for sure that it has been going on for a very long time. John Hopkins writes in Female Genital Cutting Cultural Conflict in the Global Community that the debates over female genital mutilation began in 1958. The economic and social council of United Nations formally requested the World Health Organization to study the practice. The world Health Organization was hesitant since it was more of a cultural issue than a medical issue. In the mid 1990’s, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank gave aid to the World Health Organization which did research on the act and found out that the it is dangerous causing a lot of pain and death. The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Health Organization then issued a joint statement condemning the practice as a violation of human rights. Female Genital Mutilation became a target of unified international action.
According to the “Female genital mutilation.” An article in the Health Science Journal, Kontoyannis Maria and Christos Katsetos write that female genital mutilation is a procedure which involves partial or total removal of the external female genital organs. The World Health Organization recognizes degrees of severity of the mutilation. Clitoridectomy is the first form of genital mutilation in which the hood of the clitoris and surrounding tissue are removed. Excision is the second form in which the clitoris and the labia minora are removed and the last form is Infibulation, in which the clitoris, the labia minora and at least the anterior two thirds and often the whole of the medial part of the labia majora are removed. The age at which the practice is performed varies; it could be done at any time between a few months old until puberty, on the first wedding night, or even during the delivery of the first baby. Infibulation is widespread in Somalia, Djibouti, parts of Mali, northern Nigeria, some parts of Ethiopia and Sudan. Clitoridectomy and excision are practiced on the west coast of Africa, Chad, the Central African Republic, southern Egypt, Kenya and Tanzania. The practice is also common among Muslim groups in the Philippines, Malaysia, Pakistan and Indonesia. Female circumcision is also practiced in Muslim United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, and South Yemen but it is not practiced in the cradle of Islam, Saudi Arabia.
Female genital mutilation is based on fear of a woman's sexuality which is a natural quality that should be educated through love and not crippled by violence but the proponents of the act state that it is a cultural tradition that has been passed on generation after generation and viewed as a way to maintain cleanliness among women. (Female Genital Mutilation: Conflict in the Global Community 7). According to Genital Autonomy: Protecting Personal Choice, Every year about two million African girls are terrorized by the ritual mutilation of their most sensitive parts. There is no possibility of informed consent. By carrying out female Genital mutilation, are people putting culture and tradition over human rights? Shouldn’t women’s rights be put at the fore front as well? Why shouldn’t women be allowed to enjoy the very act that is used to procreate?
“Female genital mutilation.”An article in the Nursing Standard Journal written by Ball Teresa indicates that the scientific progress, as well as the development of effective communication systems, has probably supported the eradication of Female Genital Mutilation in the Western culture. The World Health Organization (WHO) (2008) estimates that between 100 and 140 million female adults and children have undergone Female genital mutilation worldwide. The procedure is often associated with immediate and long-term complications including pain, infection and increased maternal and infant morbidity (WHO 2008). The act is carried out by traditional birth attendants, circumcisers or midwives and usually takes place in non sterile conditions without unaesthetic. Is sticking to culture worth all the pain? Shouldn’t women be allowed to choose when it comes to their bodies?
Whereas there is a common notion that Female genital mutilation is a cultural act rather than a religious act, Islam has got some backlash concerning the act. Islam is linked to the cultural act of female genital mutilation. Many Islamic regions force their women to carry out the cultural act. Religion is considered as a sanctity that is for the people but it is the Islamic religion that has the most prevalence of female genital Mutilation. Many girls from many Islamic countries such as Somalia, Ethiopia, Yemen, Oman, are faced with this very painful experience. (Maria 44). I remember going online and I saw so many girls all covered up in hijab which is the wear that the Islamic women put on to hide their bodies from the public. These women and young girls hand in their hands posters that read: “Say no to female genital Mutilation.” These are girls who grow up with the notion that they should be scared of their sexuality. One’s sexuality is Allah’s gift to these girls. They were created to go through the World, get married and give birth. I do not see why they should be punished for it. Girls who have undergone the act become prisoners to the act of sex. Most of the girls get married and only have sex because it’s a need for their husbands but not as a want on their end. This is extremely unfair to the female species being that religion is considered to be a place of peace for both men and women but it becomes a place of misery for the women.
Women are mutilated because culture dictates with reasons such as preventing fornication and infidelity (Genital Autonomy: Protecting Personal Choice .)but men are allowed to walk around with freedom to do whatever they want. This is a double standard! Women and men are all equal in rights. We were all born to be free to express ourselves. I do not understand why our sexualities should be held on different levels. The man is allowed to have sex before marriage but when it comes to a woman, she is mutilated. This seems to be a punishment even before the crime is committed. The fact that the act is forced adds fuel to the fire. Women are forced to undergo the act because we are seen to be the weaker sex who does what it is told even if something is dangerous. Many girls who do not under the act are seen to be virgins and faithful lovers which break the myth that without mutilation, women’s sexuality could lead to infidelity and fornication. It is also insulting that through carrying out female genital mutilation, people think women cannot control their sexual urge which brings up the need to mutilate them.
Culture is an important aspect in our community. Culture has behaviors and beliefs characteristic to a particular age group or ethnic group. These cultures are usually initiated and put into action by a particular person or group and gain popularity with time. Some cultures are particular with schools. I remember the culture of spanking that gained great strength in high school. Students were spanked for failing exams and for going late to class. These were some of the cultures we hated. There was also a culture of Boy’s party which involved boys at our University inviting the girls to go out with them for a dinner date, an event that was arranged by the school. This was the culture that was loved. Just like the cultures in school, even in a larger community, there are cultures that are loved that bring pleasure and the hated ones. Female genital mutilation is detested. It is a culture that is based on myths and results into death. Not all cultures should be upheld. Someone starts a culture but that should not guarantee that that culture should be passed on to the future generations. Female Genital mutilation should be looked at in that sense. It’s a want that should not over ride a need like women’s rights. Equality between women and men is needed. Boys and girls should have an equal chance in life and believe that they can do whatever they wish to. Schools can open up those horizons for both of the sexes. In school female genital mutilation was objected. Girls should never feel like they cannot do something just because they are female or they have to go through bad situations just because they are female. I remember growing up, I felt like I could not excel at mathematics and I always thought that it was for the boys. Coming to America, many people questioned my father as to why he had to let his seventeen year old daughter travel to the USA to study. They did not see the use in the struggle because I am a girl. There are so many ways in which women’s rights are stepped on. Just mere comments and views on the topic are usually sexist. Men have the freedom to choose and to express themselves, why not allow women to do the same? Female Genital Mutilation is a barrier for women to express themselves sexually because they are not allowed to enjoy the sexual act.
There is a difference between femininity and subordination. Being feminine is a natural quality that women were given to differentiate them from men. Women are seen to be gentler than the boys. Women are taught to be respectful to their fathers, their brothers and it is often carried on to their husbands. By allowing going through female genital mutilation, women are submitting to what culture suggests. The act is very dangerous and sometimes leads to death. Women seem so vulnerable and helpless when they insist on carrying out this act.
Another major complaint women who have undergone the act have is lack of sexual enjoyment. Women and men are equal but it seems like often, women often sacrifice for the men. Women are barred from enjoying sex. Rosenburg writes in “Female Genital Mutilation linked to Sexual Dysfunction”:
Women who have experienced female genital mutilation report lower sexual function than other women, according to a pilot study to assess sexual dysfunction associated with genital cutting. As part of the study conducted in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between February 2007 and March 2008, 260 sexually active women half of whom had experienced genital mutilation were given an Arabic translation of the female sexual function index (FSFI) questionnaire developed by Rosen et al., which includes questions about libido, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction and pain. Of the women who had experienced genital mutilation, 41% characterized their mutilation as type 1 (the least severe) or type II, 42% as type III (the most severe) and 17% as unknown. There were no differences between the women with genital mutilation and those without in terms of their scores on the libido or pain indexes; however, women with genital cutting had lower scores on the indexes for arousal, lubrication, orgasm and satisfaction. The authors comment that "efforts by local religious and medical authorities in countries where [female genital mutilation] is common to demonstrate that all types of [female genital mutilation] including type I are associated with a long list of health consequences, will help toward abandoning the procedure. (Rosenburg 5).
The United Nations writes about the International Women’s day celebrated on the 8 th March every year in most countries as the day has been observed since the early 1900's. “The celebration of the day began in 1908 when great unrest and critical debate was occurring amongst women. Women's oppression and inequality was spurring women to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change.” This day was put in place to stem out acts that violated the happiness of a woman such as female genital mutilation. (UN Women Watch). UNFPA which is United Nations Population Fund writes about the International Day for Zero Tolerance of Female Genital Cutting which was celebrated this year on February 6 th 2013. On this day, UNFPA, UNICEF and the United Kingdom Department for International Development hosted a discussion on the progress made in the Female Genital Mutilation abandonment. This shows that the act is internationally recognized. Will culture prevail over the rights of women? Or is there hope for the abolition of this act. Many countries have laws against it such as the United Kingdom which was passed in 1985.

Works Cited
Hernlund, Yiva K, Shell, Duncan and Bettina, K. Transcultural Bodies: Female Genital Cutting in Global Context. Rutgers University Press New Brunswick, NJ, USA, 2007. Web. 12 March. 2012.

Transcultural Bodies; Female Genital Cutting in Global Context analyzes Female Genital mutilation and the fact that women have their sexual organs altered. It mentions women who have undergone the act experiencing sex in exile. It states that most mutilated women claim that they do not enjoy sex and only do it for the purpose of marriage. Unlike those who do not enjoy the act, some other women say they still are able to enjoy sex. The book says the act is a form of altering sexuality. There a puzzle about sexual enjoyment of women in rural Eritrea and those in Australia. It states that women who have undergone the act are frigid. It shows cases of the act. A young Somali woman who migrates to the United States of America states that everybody had to undergo the act. She underwent hers when she was 11 years old. If one did not allow going through it, she would not be called a woman or more so be a laughing stock. This is so useful for my paper in evaluating the act with the rights of women.

George, Denniston C, Fredwrick, Hodges M, Marilyn, Fayre Milos. ed. Genital Autonomy: Protecting Personal Choice. Springer Netherlands, 2010. Web. 12 March. 2013.

It shows an interesting development of the project of eradication of infibulations which is a very dangerous form of Female Genital mutilation at Merka, Somalia, from 1993 to 2007. The 9th International Symposium, Seattle 2006, implemented by Mana Abdurahman Isse shows the use of singing and dance to reinforce a western-style approach to female health by means of traditional methods of learning and sensitization showing the combination of the traditional and the modern means which espouses local ways of emotionally communicating very important notions through singing and dancing and more frigid school-like teaching. It shows the application of the notions of British anthropologists, Victor Turner and Maurice Bloch, about cultural performance to the visual document supplied by Mana Abdurahman Isse, a sultan’s daughter, and thus a charismatic figure whose performance is particularly authoritative, in order to analyze how effective an intervention can be that aims at the eradication of the infibulation that exploits culturally sanctioned means of communication. This culturally loaded intervention can suggest to us new approaches to the prevention as well as the eradication of infibulation, with the help of native operators and cultural mediators. This enlightens more on infibulation which a form of genital mutilation.

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Kontoyannis, Maria, Katsetos, Christos. “Female genital mutilation.”Health Science Journal 4.1. (2010): 31-45, Web. 12 March. 2013.

The Health science Journal states the need for health care professionals to be aware of the reasons and the numerous health issues associated with Female Genital Mutilation. It shows the various ways in which female genital mutilation is carried out including Clitoridectomy or 'sunna' in which the hood of the clitoris and surrounding tissue are removed, Excision, in which the clitoris and the labia minora are removed and Infibulation. It entails research on the topic and the related results. It states that this is a traumatic experience for women which frequently occurs in childhood. It also contains Information that is the provision of education to affected women and their families in order to assist in diminishing this harmful practice that has to be offered through continuous meeting. The descriptions of the different types of genital mutilation plus their side effects are seen here. I use these greatly for my research.

Ball, Teresa, “Female genital mutilation.”Nursing Standard Journal 23.5. (2008): 43-54, Web. 12 March. 2013.

This article states the various forms of female genital mutilation. It shows the act to be a complex and controversial traditional practice that takes place in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) (2008) estimates that between 100 and 140 million female adults and children have undergone the practice. It goes into more depth to analyze the effects of genital mutilation showing the migration of women affected by Female Genital Mutilation to the UK over the past two decades which has created a healthcare challenge, particularly in gynecology and obstetrics. It shows reasons behind the act being cultural, religious and hygienic. It shows other reasons behind the act to be to avoid hysteria, masturbation and lesbianism. It states more that the act is forbidden in U.K. U.K has a law against the act that was passed in 1985. It shows the act to be against children’s rights and women’s rights.

Boyle, Elizabeth Heger. Female Genital Cutting: Cultural Conflict in the Global Community. John Hopkins University Press, 2003. Web. 12 March. 2013.

Female Genital Cutting: Cultural Conflict in the Global Community shows the evolution of debates over the topic. In 1958, the economic and social council of United Nations formally requested that the World Health Organization study the practice. The World Health Organization refused stating it was outside the medical and was more social-cultural. By the mid 1990s, things had changed and the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank linked aid to reform efforts. Four other International Governmental Organizations including the World Health Organization were all on board and issued a joint statement condemning the practice as a violation of human rights. Female Genital Mutilation became a target of unified International action. This is very useful in my research showing the history of female genital mutilation. The book also shows the different times when laws against the act are passed in the various countries.

Rosenberg, Jared. “Female Genital Mutilation Linked to Sexual Dysfunction.” 35. (2009): 50-67, Web. 23 April. 2013.

This article talks about the effects of female genital mutilation. It shows the effects of genital cutting on the sexual urge of women. The women libido and satisfaction are some of the things that are affected by this act. This article helped to show me the sexual effects of the act on the women who undergo it.

Cree, Payne. “Protecting Women rights.” Web. 23 April, 2013.

The article urges for the rights of women. It talks about protecting women’s rights. This article helped to widen my view on the women rights and enlarged my perspective on the issue.

Levin, Tobe. “Female genital mutilation and human rights.” 1. (2003): 285-316, Web. 23 April. 2013.

This article compares female genital mutilation to human rights. It shows how the act puts women on the submissive side. Reading the article helped me to meditate on personal experiences on the rights of women and helped me understand why the act is carried out.

UNFPA. “International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation/ Cutting.”

The website talks about the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation/ Cutting which was celebrated in 2013. It helped me understand the attention the act is gaining.

U.N. “History of International Women’s Day.”

The website states the history of the International Women’s Day. It is celebrated every year on the 8 th of March. It shows how the day started to be celebrated.

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