Female Genital Mutilation

Palak Grover IV-C 144

ABSTRACT

Cultural values should be upheld with dignity to mankind. Our traditional

practices too, need to give honor to our bodies irrespective of our sex1. Female
genital mutilation or female genital cutting or female genital circumcision has
been a cultural practice in not only in regions of Africa or tribal regions of India
but the young girls of 6 or 7 are cut here in core of India in the cities like Mumbai.
It is not only the female child that suffers such trauma but the male child too. FGM
can be seen as Human Rights violation on the girl child most especially as
no proper medical care is put in place to prevent any negative effect. Victims of
FGM suffer from both physical and psychological complications. It is seen as a
rite of passage for females who are of age to prove that they are worthy to be an
honorary part of the family. This research paper includes the history, reasons,
justifications for and against the practice and analysis of the is

1
“A study on Female Genital Mutilation, Culture and Human Rights violation inTraditional Society of Cameroon” by
Agejo Patrick Ageh
CONTENTS

 Introduction
 Traditional myths: reasons for FGM
 Psychological and physical consequences
 Hypothesis
 Suggestions to curb FGM
 Conclusion
INTRODUCTION

Imagine a hot knife heating at a stove, imagine yourself being completely helpless ,
imagine a significant part of your body being cut by that hot knife and you
shivering. Female genital mutilation or female genital circumcision or female
genital cutting is practice of cutting of clitoris part of the female body. According
to the definition of the World Health Organization (WHO), Female Genital
Mutilation FGM comprises all procedures involving partial or total removal of the
external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs whether for
cultural, religious or other non-therapeutic reasons and does not include medically
prescribed surgery or that which is performed for sex change reasons2.

It is practiced in more than 20 countries throughout Africa, the Middle East and
Asia, and within immigrant populations through out the world with prevalence
rates ranging from 5-99%. Its practice can be found in some religious, ethnic and
cultural groups and across all socio-economic classes. In the countries where most
or a large number of women have been mutilated, the medical complications that
result from these practices place a heavy burden on the health services of these
countries.

Procedures for the practice vary throughout the world but the WHO classifies
FGM into four types as follows:(1) Excision of the prepuce with or without
excision of the clitoris,(2) excision of the clitoris with partial or total excision of
the labia minora, (3)excision of part or all of the external genitalia and(4) stitching
together of the exposed walls of the labia majora leaving only a small hole
(typically less than 5cm) to permit the passage of urine and vaginal secretions. This
hole may need extending at the time of the menarche and often before first
intercourse and including pricking, piercing, burning, cutting or introduction of
corrosive substances.

Female genital mutilation is a widespread practice that is carried out on young girls
between the ages of 5 and 10 years, and in some countries on grown women as
well. Unlike male circumcision, female circumcision is not a Religious obligation
required by Islam, Christianity, or any of the other known religions. The practice
2
source: http://www.who.int/topics/female_genital_mutilation/en/ accessed on 9-11-12
is nevertheless a cultural tradition. It is practiced mainly in Africa and in some
Asian countries. At one time it is said to have even existed in Europe before it was
abolished in that continent some centuries ago.

As a harmful “customary” or “traditional” practice, FGM

is addressed under two important legally binding international human rights
instruments: the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the 1989Convention on the Rights
of the Child (CRC).

TRADITIONAL MYTHS: REASONS FOR FGM

The origin of female circumcision remains a mystery. It is believed that FGM has
shared roots with Chinese foot binding because both practices are associated with
the ability to be married, fidelity of the wives to the husband, and chastity. The
earliest documented female circumcision took place approximately 2,200 years ago
in Nubian region, which is now known as Egypt and Sudan. FGM is most
prevalent in Africa, where in some countries the rate of prevalence can be as high
as 98%. However, the practice can be seen in South East Asia, Britain , and even
the United States. The main objective of FGM was to prevent:
 Masturbation;
 Epilepsy;
 Neurasthenia;
 Hysteria;
 And other female deviances
India’s Dawoodi Bohra community has been so closeted about its practice of
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) that its recent disclosure shocked even women’s
rights activists. It was the highly publicised criminal trial of the FGM of two Bohra
girls in Australia, in 2010 and 2011, which shattered the secrecy around this
practice.

It is said that its unwanted skin that gives pleasure to women. There is no such
scientific thesis attached to it. One of the reasons for circumcision is Fidelity in
Marriage , in one of the interviews, a tribal women talking about circumcision says
that “he has to make sure that his women at home doesn’t misbehaves while he is
away” , she mentioning that one of the ways to control a women or to make her
faithful is to remove clitoris part from her body.Insia Dariwala, a famous child
activist says that the fact that a woman is not cut goes against her, she is still cut
 off from society, she is boycotted from all functions, rituals and ceremonies. Many
of victims who came up and shared their horrendous experience said that “it was
done by a woman” sometimes a female doctor or sometimes an old lady,unaware
of the consequences threes ladies were themselves have been a victim of it. Many
of the victims didn’t even had an idea what happened to them, one of them came to
know at 44.3

Many of the women affected by FGM come from rural areas and have had limited
access to reproductive health education. Many myths about FGM, particularly
those relating to hygiene and aesthetics have been passed down from generation to
generation without being questioned and are subsequently held on to with tenacity.
These include the following:
 In areas where infant mortality is high and fertility so important, FGM is
promoted as a pre-requisite for the cleanliness of a woman and the good health of
her baby. (In practice however, infibulation has the opposite effect,
compromising hygiene and causing an increased risk of infection, infertility,
health complications and childbearing difficulties.)
 the Dogon and the Bambara of Mali, and the Mosi of Burkina Faso believe that
the clitoris is dangerous during childbirth and can cause death when in contact
with the baby's head
 amongst some communities the clitoris is thought to produce an offensive
discharge and exude a foul odour
 in some areas of Ethiopia, there is the belief that if the female genitals are not
excised they will grow and dangle between the legs like a man
 the Tagouna of the Ivory Coast believe that an unexcised woman cannot
conceive
 In some countries such as Somalia, the external female genitals are considered
dirty, ugly, and disfiguring. Infibulations is believed to produce a clean smooth
skin surface that is desirable to touch
 In some cultures it is believed that the clitoris is a masculine feature which must
be removed to create true femininity in women. Women who have not undergone
FGM are believed to have characteristics thought to be only appropriate for men,
such as sexual desire and promiscuity.4

3
Source: video {india’s dark secret: FGM} HT Feb 29, 2014
4
Source- http://fgm.co.nz/beliefs-and-issues/
PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL CONSEQUENCES

Boston based Maria, a journalist in her experience said that it damaged her for
many years. FGM not only leaves a physical impact but psychological too.
Victims talking about their experiences said “I only realized how deeply FGM had
affected me when I became pregnant. My pregnancy was extremely traumatic and I
was severely depressed. Every time I had a medical appointment I would feel ill to
the point of passing out. I felt anxious whenever anyone touched me and had panic
attacks whenever I was checked by medical staff. Not one doctor or midwife
questioned this or understood why. In my medical records it was documented that I
have a scar on my hand, but not that I have a scar on my genitals. What I began to
realise is that I also have an invisible scar. We often associate female genital
mutilation with the horrific physical trauma suffered by the 140 million women
worldwide currently living with it. But there is less awareness about the
psychological trauma that can haunt a woman throughout her lifetime. Sometimes
the emotional scars are even harder to heal than the physical, as I was finding out
One of the most difficult aspects of FGM is accepting it as part of your life and
learning how to live with it every day. I had to start figuring that out when I was
seven years old.5

Its true that FGM leaves invisible scars on the mind that are traumatizing for a
woman yet physical ill effects cannot be underrated. How clean (sterile) the place
is where cutting happens. FGC is illegal in most countries and must be done in
secret. In most of these countries, FGC is usually done on a floor, table, bed, or the
ground. But, in some countries, such as Egypt, a loophole in the law allows doctors
to do FGC in a sterile, medical site. The experience of the person performing FGC
and the tools used. The cutting is often done with glass, razor blades, or knives.
The tools may not be sterilized between cuttings. In type 3 FGC, the sewing may
be done with thorns and without sterile thread. The type of FGC. Type 3 causes
more health problems than type1 or type 2.The general health of the girl or woman.
The immediate consequences can be intense pain, haemorrhaging, infection and
retention of urine and latent can be vaginal cysts , vaginal calculi, urinary tract
infections and difficulty during labour.
Following investigation and trial, the mother of the girls, the midwife and a Bohra
priest in Australia were sentenced to 15 months in prison in 2016.
The instruments used were knives, scissors or hot objects that are reused.
Anesthesia and antiseptic were not at all used.

5
Source: http://www.girleffect.org/what-girls-need/articles/2015/02/the-invisible-scars-of-fgm/
HYPOTHESIS

FGM is a worldwide culture crossing all national boundaries. It’s a matter of

urgency: every minute, five girls will be cut. Over the next 10 years, 30 million
more girls will be at risk. It should be criminalized and stricter laws should be
made and implemented properly. Awareness should be spread amongst people
about FGM and its mental and physical consequences. All the victims should
come together and fight against the issue. . We need to work together to ensure that
my generation is the last to suffer from the consequences of FGM.

SUGGESTIONS TO CURB FGM

Despite the fact that FGM causes pain and suffering to millions of women and girls
and can be life-threatening, it remains deeply entrenched in certain social value
systems as health risk and lack of informed consent. Changing this reality to bring
about positive and protective social behavior requires a holistic and integrated
approach with harmonized programmers of action to achieve the common goal of
“Zero Tolerance to FGM”. Political will and action are indispensable for the
eradication of FGM. It also recognizes that this can be achieved in a short space of
time if all stakeholders join efforts and act in a concerted manner.

Victims of Female Genital Mutilation should take up the courage to

create pressure groups through media outreach so as to sensitise the public andespe
cially those communities where FGM is prevalent in Cameroon on
the barbaric nature of the practices as a violation to human rights or humandignity.

NGOs, Peer Groups and Human Rights Activists should approach to the highest
judicial body or the Apex Court through social interest litigation or by writ petition
to ban the practice of FGM in Cameroon.

Volunteers and practitioners should come together create associations of former

practitioners and provided them with micro-credits to finance alternative
livelihoods and reproduction skills training. Sometimes former practitioners can be
very effective as future midwives, and this helps to guarantee long-term viability.
CONCLUSION

Issues dealing with culture are so sensitive and therefore those planning to tackle
the issue of female genital mutilation that is deeply rooted in culture and traditional
beliefs, should have enough knowledge on other people’s culture and should not
generalize culture. When discussing about people and their culture, also historical,
economical social, political and geographical factors need to be taken into
consideration, because they are part of the people and their life. t the practice of
FGM is a social consequence that is affecting a number of women and young girls
socially, psychological and physically. To eradicate the practice, there is a need for
education campaigns in the communities that practice FGM.