Female Genital Mutilation Homework Help

Female Genital Mutilation

The World Health Organization provide definition of female genital mutilation (FGM) as every procedure that involves either partial or total elimination of the external genitalia of a female individual, or any other injury to the genital organs of a female without any medical grounds. Female genital cutting and female circumcision are other alternative terms used in place of FGM. Typically the procedure is carried out on girls between a few days old and puberty. It may be carried out in a hospital but mostly it is done by a traditional circumciser with the use of a knife, scissors or razors and without anesthesia. FGM is considered to be practiced in more than 25 countries in various regions in Africa and in some parts of the Middle East. There are some immigrant communities in continents like Europe, Australia, and North America. Worldwide, the estimate of women and girls who have experienced the procedure is documented by the WHO to be between 100 and 140 million with 92 million being from Africa . Of the four classifications offered by the WHO, type I, type II and type III are the three main ones.
The three main types of FGM
Type I applies when the clitoral hood is removed which mostly translates to the clitoris itself being removed. Type II applies when the inner labia and the clitoris are removed. Type III applies when part or the whole inner and outer libia are removed and sometimes the clitoris as well as the fusion of the wound. In this case, a small hole is left allowing urine to be passed and the menstrual blood. During intercourse and child birth the fusion gets opened. Approximately 85 percent of women who have undergone female genital cutting experience the first two types and the other percentage experience type III although the most common procedure in a number of countries such as Somalia, Djibouti and Sudan is type III. There are a number of miscellaneous activities ranging from symbolic piercing of the labia and clitoris to cutting into the genital organs o a female fall into type IV.
Female genital mutilation and male genital mutilation
As a result of female genital mutilation sexual feelings may get to be reduced or permanently terminated in the victim. A lot of pain is experienced during sexual intercourse and in addition, a caesarian section is the most recommendable method of childbirth. For millennia North Africa has held FGM as a social custom. FGM is thought by many to be associated with the Islam religion and culture. In the actual sense though, animists, Christians and Islamists all experience FGM in their religions. However, a number of Muslim nations also embrace the practice such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. Despite Indonesia having FGM as a universal procedure, it is performed in the nation in a minimally invasive manner.
Similarly two male circumcisions, the female procedure functions under two rituals. In Africa mostly, it is considered as a ritual or a customary practice as well as in some Islamic societies too. Victorian doctors, though, rationalize the practice in the same way they rationalize male genital mutilation . It is interesting that despite the similarities that the two genital mutilation procedures practice, FGM is found to be more of a cruel abomination, more prioritized and causing a lot of interest to the international community. This might be majorly attributed to the numerous negative impacts arising from the practices on female individuals.
A tolerant attitude is placed on male circumcision as well as a common western society belief that the exercise sexually disables the victim and is not beneficial health wise to the victim. The severity experienced in FGM depends on the type of circumcision performed. It has been proven that the most extreme forms of FGM are not common and that the impacts on the victim after healing tend to be more severe and prevalent in women and girls than in men and boys. The male circumcision is considered safer and more beneficial compared to its counterpart since it is less risky, with fewer effects and providing medical precautions such as reducing contraction of HIV/ AIDS. In male circumcision, the damage to the penis is determined by the amount of tissue excised. Since MGM also causes some concerns concerning procedure going bad, hygiene not being observed and long-term complications in delivery and sexual interaction matters, FGM is prioritized as a gender. All the same, this is no reason why male circumcision should be embraced while at the same time female circumcision is encouraged. Even if one circumcision gender does not get much affected, the other offers enough concern to probe a query into its potential benefits weighed against the cons. some continents such as the united states of America excuse and consider male circumcision to be bearable compared to female circumcision.
There is hope concerning female circumcision as in the previous year, an estimate of 2000 communities did away with FGM. Calculating the number in the last several years, approximately 8,000 communities have been reported to renounce FGM . From these encouraging findings, we can see that social norm and cultural practices that were previously misguided are now changing and rights of the female gender are being protected. More than 13 countries are placed in an initiative by the United Nations organizations to make aware the limitations of FGM and among them are Sudan, Somalia, Uganda, Kenya, Egypt and Burkina Faso.
Female genital mutilation in Africa
The communities that practice this procedure in Africa value it as a very important ritual that marks the transition of a woman from childhood to adulthood. FGM in these communities is considered to represent part of the rite of passage purposed to improve the skills and information of the woman in order for her to be able to carry out her wifely and motherly duties. In a conventional way, it will be seen that FGM functions to ultimately reduce the sexual desire of a woman and ensure that she maintains her virginity until she gets married. It is important to note that studies have shown that extreme forms of FGM not only affect the woman but the man also gets difficulty and pain during intercourse. There are those communities in Africa who consider FGM a religious activity especially Muslims. The female genitalia may be considered ugly, dirty, or offensive therefore presenting a woman who has undergone the procedure to be aesthetically pleasing and more hygienic. There are also some misguided notions that FGM increases the fertility of a woman as well as increasing the chances of her children surviving. Such a notion might be termed as misguided since a majority of women who have undergone FGM get to do a caesarian section during delivery because of the limitations that the exercise places on an expectant woman.
The widespread belief in the benefits of FGM can be blamed on every member of the community. The families of women and girls undergoing the procedure support it since their girls get to be marriageable especially regarding them having ready suitors and satisfactory bride prices offered. These communities have men who have been bred to believe that a woman that has not undergone the procedure is not worth marrying therefore in order to gain social and cultural acceptance the women are forced to agree to the practice and procedure. The women should also not be eliminated from the involvement list as they arrange for and perform FGM on their children and relatives. In Africa, the mother and the grandmother get to arrange the procedure while the professional circumciser waits to perform the surgery. A woman who has failed to undergo the cut is informed that there is no place for her in the society, is sanctioned and the other women and girls who are circumcised are required not to associate with her.
Taking a particular example of discrimination against an uncircumcised woman is the Kenyan politician, Linah Kilimo, who faced opposition earlier in her career regarding the fact that she was uncircumcised therefore unfit for public office . Times have changed and today she holds a ministerial position in the government. At least globalization has proved some cultures to be outdated and promoted of maintenance of women’s rights which include the right to make decisions regarding matters impacting on their well-being.
FGM and its potential impacts on health
It is so saddening that the consequences of FGM in a majority of cases are long-term. The impacts arising from the practice are attributed to the poor lifestyle of the practicing communities therefore lacking modern health facilities. In many cases of medical emergencies arising from FGM, death is the most common end result. Determination of the number of women who have died from FGM-related complications is not easy since the practice is always highly guarded. Three factors are considered to determine the magnitude and occurrence of health complications in a woman or girl.
Types II and III are reported to give rise to a majority of severe health complications. In a number of studies, reduced elasticity of the vagina in type I FGM was associated with complications during childbirth. The tiny tears that form on the vagina due to reduced elasticity form more scar tissue and compromise the elasticity of the vagina even further. With each subsequent birth, more pain, and longer time is experienced. The woman is predisposed to infection by the tears and her ability to get satisfaction sexually is undermined due to the ever loosening property caused by the tearing.
Another thing is the sanitary conditions under which the exercise is carried out. Also the competence of the person performing the procedure should be taken into account. Many circumcisers are professionals who have performed similar procedures over the years. However, they tend to use rudimentary tools as well as sanitary conditions. Since there are specific types of instruments that tradition dictates be used, innovation, or adoption of new and suitable instruments is not allowed . The ceremony in a number of communities gets to be performed once a year and the girls who are eligible get to be cut on the same day, with the use of the same instrument therefore increasing chances of infection as well as risk of exposure to HIV/AID as the instruments do not get to be sterilized.
FGM is carried out very secretly hence posing a great threat to the girl’s and women’s health. Outsiders are pot allowed any contact with the girls and women immediately before, during and after the procedure are done. These girls and women therefore have limited access to medical aid should the need for one arise during or after the cut. Type III FGM is even worse as it has a 40-day isolation which means that in case of an infection, the victim would more likely die before she gets proper medical care. Carrying out the procedure in a hospital with proper sanitary conditions and by a qualified medical professional reduces the risk of infection but it doesn’t eliminate the long-term consequences that are expected after the procedure. Post-operative shock, bleeding, infections, damage to other organs and the retention of urine usually resulting when the wound swell or inflames, are examples of immediate physical complications that may arise. Long-term consequences may include chronic infections specific to the bladder and vagina, very painful menstruation, cysts forming on the stitch line, difficulty in child birth, and the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS . There are also psychological complications such as extreme trauma to a point of which they can be linked with genitals pain. The trauma may also include fear of possible death during delivery. Also, sexual intercourse becomes an inconceivable idea for many of them.
International response to the practice
Gradually, this practice is being identified as a harmful tradition and one that violates girls’ and women’s’ rights. Efforts to eradicate this custom are increasing globally with many countries formulating legislations against it and several international organizations prioritizing the elimination of FGM. A certain date, February 8, has even been set aside as an international day creating awareness on the zero tolerance on female genital mutilation .

Conclusion
Female genital mutilation is a practice that has been carried out for many years especially in Africa and the Muslim nations. However, the negative effects associated with the procedure have led to the intervention by governments and the international community. A lot of effort is being put in the fight against this custom which poses health threats to the candidates, psychological trauma, and extreme pain during and after the procedure.

Bibliography:
Kouba, Joseph & Muasher, John. “Female Circumcision in Africa: An Overview”. African Studies Review 28 (1985): 95–110.
Nussbaum, Martha Craven. Judging Other Cultures: The Case of Genital Mutilation: Sex and Social Justice. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999, pp. 119–20.
Shell-Duncan, Bettina and Hernlund, Ylva. Female “Circumcision” in Africa: Culture, Controversy, and Change (Directions in Applied Anthropology: Adaptations & Innovations). Colorado: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2001.
Shell-Duncan, Bettina and Hernlund, Ylva. Transcultural Bodies: Female Genital Cutting in Global Context. New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 2007.
World Health Organization. “Female Genital Mutilation”, 2012, accessed February 17, 2012 from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs241/en/index.html