Lauren Miller

Miller 1

DAlessio
UWRT 1102-023
March 17, 2016
!

The core belief shared by feminists is the equal treatment of men and women, but in my

opinion, this can not be achieved if women's bodies are not respected. Practices like female
genital mutilation are not only continuing the inequality of women in patriarchal societies, but
are also human rights violations. According to the World Health organization, more than three
million girls are at risk for female genital mutilation every year. (this was a good way to add
perspective to how big the issue is)Female genital mutilation, otherwise known as FGM, has life
threatening consequences, and is gaining stability geographically and also medically. Though
FGM has been recognized as a human rights violation, many under developed countries protect
the practice as a cultural tradition. This is why one of the strongest combating forces is the
education of the victims and people globally.( why have I never heard of this before?)
(CITE)

Types of female genital mutilation can be organized into four categories. Type one is a
Clitoridectomy, which is the removal of the clitoris. Type two is the removal of the clitoris and
labia minora. Type three, called Infibulation, is a clitoridectomy along with the removal of the
labias minora and the narrowing of the introitus, or vaginal opening, by creating a covering seal.
This procedure is considered to be the most intense and high risk of all the different types. Type
four includes any other form of harmful procedures for non-medical purposes to the genitals.
Female genital mutilation is normally preformed by midwives who are well known in the
community. (tell us more about the job of the midwife)These traditional midwives are known to

Lauren Miller

Miller 1

DAlessio
UWRT 1102-023
March 17, 2016
cut with shards of glass, single use blades on multiple girls, and with out anesthetic. (what
happens that is so detrimental to the women's health)With modern research, FGM has been
proven to cause many adverse reactions that include death during the procedure from
hemorrhaging or unsterilized instruments, painful sexual experiences, menstrual problems,
urination problems, risks during pregnancy, and during labor for the mother and baby(how many
people does this problem effect, how many die from it) (CITE)
Girls usually four to fifteen years old are threatened by female genital mutilation in over
30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia ("Female Genital Mutilation." World). (where is
this culture migrating to, how popular is it in the western hemp.)Though this practice is
migrating to other countries, the world is just recently recognizing FGM as a human rights
violation. It breaks the United Nations declaration of human rights, the United Nations
convention on the rights of a child, and the convention on the elimination of all forms of
discrimination against women. Also in more modern forms, where FGM is becoming
medicalized, healthcare workers break international human rights agreements. One large
argument against this practice is that it is normally performed before the age of consent
(Andrew), which in my opinion, makes female genital mutilation impossible to legalize. (add
more opinion in)
Despite the serious health risks that female genital mutilation imposes, little has been
done legally to stop this unnecessary and harmful custom. (why do these health risks happen how
does it lead to the death of the fetus I'm confused a little)Even though these countries are passing

Lauren Miller

Miller 1

DAlessio
UWRT 1102-023
March 17, 2016
laws to make these practices illegal, there are very few cases where repercussions have been
given to the people responsible for performing the operation (has any legal action been taken if
so what)(Female Genital Mutilation (FGM): Legal). These are called soft laws, where the
government tries to make a discrepancy in power between the public and private realm. Their
inability to control the private realm leaves the women and children vulnerable to the leader of
the family, the father (Monagan).
This idea of changing women's body image to satisfy men is not new. The Chinese have
practiced foot binding since the tenth century, and was only recently abolish in the 1940s when
China began to westernize. Foot binding was used to keep women's feet small by painfully
wrapping young girls so that the toes curled underneath the foot. This crippling mutilation left
women completely dependent on men, and when it was no longer fashionable, women with
bound feet were often left by their husbands (Schiavenza). Another form of mutilation was the
corset. Silhouettes of women in corsets have been seen in art as early as the 1530s. Corsets were
used to confine and constrict the torsos of women so that they followed the fashionable curvy
appearance of their dresses. This may have caused problems with circulation, and in the stomach,
colin, and muscles ("A Short). How is corseting because of men.Breast ironing is a Cameroonian
custom of using hot tools to stop developing girls chests from growing. The ideas is that these
parents are postponing their first sexual relationships by making their bodies unattractive to men.
This is done in the fear that the girls won't finish their education if they meet a man and become
pregnant. This can cause problems with breast feeding, and often ant stings are used to stimulate

Lauren Miller

Miller 1

DAlessio
UWRT 1102-023
March 17, 2016
the glands (Bidan). With all of these practices in mind, I have to believe there is something more
then these reasons driving the mutilation of the female body. (this was a great way to tie
feminism into your topic)
(maybe you could talk about how these types of mutilation were preformed in pre- industrialized
times usually)
(I dont think you can blame this on men)
There are many reasons people (who is people)use to help outsiders understand why they
must be allowed to continue the practice. Though in my opinion, the practice is being
perpetuated by the people who preform the circumcision, women who have already had the
operation, and men who demand it of their wives. (question to my readers: does this sound to
man hating?) Pressure to conform to the social order and being prepared for marriage is a strong

factor in perpetuating this FGM. It is hard for many people to see these practices as traditional,
because they have no historical or religious connections (Rahim). Though I feel, that many of
these cultures traditions have changed over time, and therefore it is not a valid excuse to cut
women's genitals.( i don't think it sounds like you hate men lol)
In the video, Female Circumcision: Human Rites, I watched (how) young girls are made
to feel as if they are royalty after their mutilation is completed(completed sounds kinda weird
here). They are often paraded around the community, where the whole village celebrates her
entrance into womanhood. This coming of age ceremony is something that young girls look

Lauren Miller

Miller 1

DAlessio
UWRT 1102-023
March 17, 2016
forward to for many years. If the family is wealthy enough, a chicken is sacrificed in the girls
name. (Female Circumcision) (you need to talk more about the rhetor of your genres)
In my opinion, one of the main pushes for the continuance of female genital mutilation is
a women's necessity to please men. Although men usually do not directly force women to get this
procedure, women in these countries are mostly dependent upon men for survival. (talk about
why women are dependent) This encourages families to force their daughters through FGM so
that they will be supported by a good husband. Because most all of these countries where female
circumcisions are preformed are in developing regions, women have little say in politics or their
family. Men get to dictate what is considered to be the virtuous and acceptable female image.
They attempt to control every aspect of a woman, and women gladly acquiesce in an attempt to
gain higher societal status and to become more acceptable for marriage (Monagan). (add more
opinion)
Another thing that has continued the support for female genital mutilation is women who
have already gotten the circumcisions. Most women who have not had the procedure are out cast
by other women. In many cultures in Africa, families are polygamist, (what is polygamy) if the
husband marries a women who is not circumcised, the other wives are likely to outcast her. This
is because uncut women are seen as promiscuous and unclean. The only ones who are educated
about the practice are the midwives, and their income comes from the continuation of female
genital mutilation (Female Circumcision). What these women don't understand, is that they are
perpetuating their own suffering. Many of these women can not read, making it harder for them

Lauren Miller

Miller 1

DAlessio
UWRT 1102-023
March 17, 2016
to understand the facts and risks behind the practice. This is why I believe that with further
education for these groups, the practice of FGM could be eliminated.
Promises of marital virginities are what classify women and honorable and worthy of
marrying. In the movie, Female Circumcision: Human Rites a women talks about how important
it is to the family to stay a virgin until marriage. Otherwise she would damage the honor of her
father and even the whole male population of the his clan forever and irretrievably. Although the
ability to sexually satisfy man is of upmost importance (Female Circumcision). (is this because
of religion or their culture)
Another reason to conform to the practice is the rumors spread about HIV and AIDS
protection, which is a deadly disease in these countries where medical assistance is limited.
They believe that by having this procedure done, it reduces sexual desire intern women will have
fewer sexual partners and less likelihood to contract these diseases (Andrew).(is there any
science behind this belief )
The article I read called Patriarchy: Perpetuating the Practice of Female Genital
Mutilation, talked a lot about the invisible had of a male driven society and their influence on
the mutilation of women's bodies. I personally believe this is where the strongest form of
pressure to conform comes from. Not only in these developing countries, but even in the United
States I feel the need to conform to the idolized image of women shown in pop culture. Though
you could tell that this author was very biased due to the fact that he never considered their point

Lauren Miller

Miller 1

DAlessio
UWRT 1102-023
March 17, 2016
of view and used persuasive rhetoric making me very skeptical while reading it. (talk about the
rhetor)
This historical practice is been take further from the notion of a tradition in the
Medicalization of FGM. This means that the practice is being taken out of the dirt huts and into
modernized medical facilities. Through this can also be a good thing, it can be seen as
legitimizing the practice because it has the backing of the medical field. Medicalization is meant
to reduce harm, but it could actually propagate the practice in both medicalized and
unmedicalized forms. Potentially, medicalized FGM will lead to an increase in its practice
because of the financial interests in its continuation. (make this more clear)There are arguments
for medicalization of female genital mutilation saying that it reduces the possibility of infection,
but FGM carries no health benefits, and it likely carries health and sexual risks. Therefore, it is
contradictory to the medical principles of beneficence and non-maleficence. Another reason that
this could be seen as unethical is that FGM is often practiced at ages when girls cannot give
informed consent. Even at older ages, where informed consent is given, that decision is under
control by the family and the community, not the victim (Andrew). Considering the irreversible
nature of the procedure, I believe it should be illegal for healthcare workers to perform the
procedure.
When I began this paper, one of the biggest apprehensions I had was that my opinions on
male and female circumcisions where completely different. In the United States, we expect men
to be circumcised, but I think that in the countries Im studying, they feel the same way about

Lauren Miller

Miller 1

DAlessio
UWRT 1102-023
March 17, 2016
females. Morally, I don't have an issue with male circumcisions, so logically I would not care
about female circumcision either. But in reality, I in no way agree with female circumcision,
even after my research of their culture, which makes it harder for me to express my bias. Im not
sure if my bias comes from being a female myself, or the age at which the practice is preformed,
but I could not let myself defend a practice that takes away the freewill of another woman. It is
very easy to look at another culture and say that what they are doing is wrong, so in my research
I tried to overcome my bias by looking at the situation objectively.
The genres I choose were two articles and a movie. Although both article were very
different, there rhetoric was very similar. In the article Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Reproductive
Medicine, the terminology was very factual and sophisticated, making it had to argue with but
also a great resource. My other article was a piece called Patriarchy: Perpetuating the Practice of
Female Genital Mutilation was more of a persuasive piece. This made me a little more skeptical
in the fact that the author was more interested in persuading me of their ideas then actually
giving facts. Though this article was critical to my research because it ties not only my research
to feminism, but also my groups topics together. The movie I watched, Female Circumcision:
Human Rites, was very different then my other sources. It was from the perspective of actual
victims, and gave me a point of view from the victims of these crimes that I could not really get
in another format. Not only did I sit through the cutting, but I watched how these women have
been brainwashed into thinking this practice is okay. Not only do they accept it, but are proud to

Lauren Miller

Miller 1

DAlessio
UWRT 1102-023
March 17, 2016
go through this process of becoming a women. This movie was a simple portrayal of the people
of these villages, not persuasive.
Over all I have learned a lot about the culture of these people, and learned to look at this
topic more objectively. I am still unsure of why the practice is done, or if it will ever be able to
be stopped, but I hope to use what I have learned to help inform people to make their own
decision. I have come to the conclusion that education is the key to over coming these male
favoring traditions as we continue to combat this issue.

!
Some of the things that are happening blow my mind. maybe talk a little more about your
opinion. also you need to talk more about genre but your paper was very good.
I think maybe you should talk about how this can be incorporated into feminism and you need
more opinion but I like the different take you are making on feminism. and you don't sound like
too much of a man hater.
I have never heard of this topic and think it would be more influential to me if I knew about how
it was started and why it happened. that is not clear but over all you have very good points and
they are supported by your sources
you need to talk more about the rhetor of you genres but over all it was very good. talk about
how you changed your topic over time.
I think ms d might be looking for more explanations as to why you formed your opinion, maybe
try to incorporate some of the SLOs in and talk about how they helped you

Works cited

!
Monagan, Sharmon Lynnette. "Journal of Alternative Perspectives in the Social
Sciences." Patriarchy: Perpetuating the Practice of Female Genital Mutilation 2.1 (2010):
160-79. Japss. 2010. Web. 5 Apr. 2016.
"Female Genital Mutilation." World Health Organization. WHO, Feb. 2016. Web. 05 Apr.
2016.
Female Circumcision: Human Rites. Films On Demand. Films Media Group, 1998. Web.
22 Mar. 2016.
Andrew J. Pearce, Susan Bewley 26 December 2013, Obstetrics, Gynaecology &
Reproductive Medicine, Volume 24, Issue 1, January 2014, Pages 2930
Schiavenza, Matt. "The Peculiar History of Foot Binding in China." The Atlantic.
Atlantic Media Company, 16 Sept. 2013. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.
"A Short History of the Corset." Marquise. A. Bender, 2013. Web. 5 Apr. 2016.
Bidan, Matthieu. "The Victims of Cameroon's Horrific Breast Ironing Tradition | VICE |
United States." VICE. VICE Media LLC, 19 Aug. 2015. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.
"Female Genital Mutilation (FGM): Legal Prohibitions Worldwide." Center for
Reproductive Rights. Center for Reproductive Rights, 11 Dec. 2008. Web. 07 Apr. 2016.
Rahim, Hajra. "'A Woman Died in My Arms: Her Crime? To Refuse FGM'" The
Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 08 Mar. 2016. Web. 07 Apr. 2016.
(put this in ABC order)