Puberty is seen by many as the period wherein children would undergo the “rite of passage” to enable maturity to develop as young men and women. It is often the physical aspect of the child which first emphasizes the sign that the child is now transcending to adulthood. However, the rite to passage is not as easy as it sounds as boys would have to undergo circumcision to foster growth. Girls would slowly feel the changes to their body once they experience their first menstrual period. While it may sound like it is easier for the girls to transcend into adulthood, this is not always the case in some parts of the globe as some girls undergo a special type of ‘circumcision’ that allows them to move into womanhood. Although the traditions of these societies see the legality of “female circumcision”, this ideal is not shared by the Western cultures especially as to how the procedure is done and its implications. Female circumcision or female genital mutilation cannot be seen as a legal procedure as the procedure violates woman’s right to choose for herself and endangers her health and development due to the excruciating and traumatizing experience of the procedure.
Female circumcision or female genital mutilation or cutting is defined by Carroll (2010) as the ‘partial or total removal of the person’s female genitalia and the injuries in the genital organs’. Girls ages 6 to 12 years old are eligible to undergo the procedure; however, some parents may even opt to have their children circumcised upon birth or before their marriage. There are several different types of operations for female genital mutilation or circumcision in which parents can choose, and done by female elders or nurses (but this is a rare occurrence) without anesthetic. The most common and the mildest type is the removal of the child’s clitoral hood or the prepuce, similar to the removal of the prepuce of the penis in male circumcision. The next type of female circumcision is excision or ‘clitoridectomy’, or the removal of the child’s clitoris and labia minora. Infibulation also includes the cutting of the clitoris and the labia minora, with the addition of cutting the parts of the labia majora. This procedure is very painful as the child’s vulva would be pinned together either through sutures or thorns that would remove the vaginal introitus, leaving only a small hole for urine or menstrual flow. Infibulation would also require a special type of knife for the operation and the patient’s legs would be bound from their hip to ankles while recovering for forty days. The final type of female circumcision is the intermediate circumcision that would entail the removal of the clitoris, and he labia minora. Under this procedure, the girl’s family may add more parts to remove depending to their preferences .
Although there are actions fighting against this practice, the report of the United Nations Children’s Fund (2013) estimated that almost 120 million girls and women have undergone the process of female genital mutilation or female circumcision from 29 countries, mostly from Africa and the Middle East. In countries such as Djibouti, Egypt, Guinea and Somalia, for example, almost 90% of women ages 15 to 49 have undergone the procedure. However, this is not the case in other Middle Eastern or African nations such as Cameroon and Uganda as only 1% of the female population have undergone the procedure . In the report of Amnesty International (n.d.), almost 8000 girls per day undergo such procedure, placing 2 million girls at risk due to the continuous practice in their communities .
The reasons for the continuous practice of female circumcision varies depending on the location and community of the patient. Nour (2008) stressed that parents opt to let their daughters undergo the practice because they believe that it is a part of their ‘rite of passage’ and enable their children to remain pure for their husbands. Some parents even fear that if they cannot get their children to undergo the procedure, they would either be tainted by society or have no chance in marrying. In some societies, the clitoris is perceived to be toxic to the body and may lead to the death of anyone that touches it. In cases of sexual intercourse, tribes with high female genital mutilation stress that the clitoris is a hazard for men as it influences the movements of the women. This is also the same concern when it comes to pregnancy with some believing that it has the capacity to affect the health of the baby once it brought out of the womb. Removing the clitoris would save the child from death, and protect the image of both their daughter and family .
Carroll (2010) also added that virginity is the one of the major reasons as to why there are still people practicing female circumcision. Some Muslim communities require women to undergo circumcision before they can marry or else they would be treated as prostitutes or unmarriageable. In Egypt, for example, 60% of women are circumcised because Egyptian males prefer wives that can prove their virginity through their circumcision. If, by any chance, a woman fails to do the procedure, they are subjected to racial slurs and stigma that would even affect the reputation of the family. In the case of Sudan, children of uncircumcised women are called “sons/daughters of an uncircumcised mother”, which is one of the most disgusting nicknames a person can be called as in the Sudanese public. Aside from the fact it serves as proof of virginity, female circumcision also depicts a woman’s status in society. Women who have undergone the procedure are seen by society as “Respectable women” with their virginity intact. Circumcision also cleanses the female’s genitals to look more feminine as the clitoris and the labia are seen as “masculine” parts. Some societies also see female circumcision as a very important time for the lives of women as it is a blessing for their future. Tribes would often offer dance and food for these teenagers as part of their welcoming ritual into womanhood .
Opponents to the practice of female circumcision or genital mutilation argue that the practice violates the rights of women and children. Dorkenoo and Elworthy (2006) and Lewis (1995) cites that female genital mutilation is an extreme act of subjugating women on the basis of society and tradition similar to China’s policy of restricting shoe sizes for children. Women, especially those from other cultures, would have to let go of their morals and ethics for the sake of being accepted by society or to be married to the one she loves, who acknowledges the stigmas regarding uncircumcised women. For young girls, their rights are violated by female circumcision because their families and peers would either force or influence their will for the sake of ritual, tradition or a sense of belongingness. It is often reported that children who undergo female circumcision do not know as to the extent of the operation and why it is actually done to their person. Since the child does not know the implications of such operation to their lives, as well as the reasons for undergoing the procedure; they are left vulnerable come the time they are to be operated. Most reactions of children who undergo female circumcision range from shock, panic and even death as the pain from such operation is similar to torture. Both women and children also do not have the option to back out or decline the operation, violating their rights to choose and escape the torture that can scar them for life .
Patients who undergo such procedure are also deprived of the right to good health and development. In terms of good health, no respectable adult – may they be a village elder or a practitioner – would insist women and children to undergo such a torturous and traumatizing experience. Experts have cited that there is a need to act against female circumcision or genital mutilation as women who undergo such procedure are at risk to physical and psychological traumas that may hamper their overall development. Ricci and Kyle (2009) stress that these procedures are often done by untrained professionals or elders, opening more risks to patients not accustomed to traditional medicines and procedures. Aside from this problem, Nour (2008) cites that it were most common to see circumcised women contract high fever and wound infections after undergoing the procedure. Patients who have undergone a genital infibulation often report cases of internal bleeding and pain, adding to the possibility of hemorrhage and anemia that may cause death if it is not treated. Excessive bleeding often entails infections such as sudden deafness, contracting tetanus and gangrene. The infibulation also has the capacity to trigger reproductive tract infections and urinary obstruction, which may add further pain and bleeding to the patient. Some reports have also stressed that there are patients who have undergone mutilation that are now infertile and exhibit signs of vaginal scarring. Vaginal scarring is very dangerous for expecting mothers as 50% of women with such complication would have higher risks in dying after child delivery or having a still birth. Lovemaking also becomes bland and unsatisfying because of the lack of sensitive tissues that would stimulate easier intercourse. For those who wish to get their circumcision removed or treated, doctors have discovered that several operations such as clitoral reconstruction can be done to regain one’s capacity to experience orgasm. Some opt to take especially reconstructive surgery to trigger their sexual instincts and reduce the negative impacts of genital mutilation. Doctors would open up the patient’s vulva and open it to its normal size (enabling easy and painless sexual intercourse), and defibulate Some African hospitals and health clinics offer free clitoral reconstruction and defibulation for those who wish to escape the impacts of circumcision .
In a psychological aspect, female circumcision causes distress to women and their husbands especially if the woman becomes infertile due to the procedure. Nour (2009) stated that it is often perceived by practitioners that, the infibulated scar made from the procedure would save girls from becoming pregnant out of wedlock. However, the scar would also disable smooth and pleasurable sexual intercourse for both the husband and wife as the scarring would make the intercourse very painful. This would trigger unhealthy sexual relations and the difficulty in impregnating the wife may cause the husbands to question their worth as a man while women fear they cannot become mothers . Furthermore, more psychological trauma is visible to circumcised women as it disables themselves from developing emotionally, mentally and socially as undertaking the procedure would bring down a woman’s desire to practice her freedom and make herself vulnerable and exploitable. Most of the societies or communities who practice female circumcision often have no access to education and food, surviving only through marriage. In some instances, women become more reluctant to break away from traditional values even if development is already close in inspiring change .
In support of this perception that female circumcision is a violation to human rights and a danger to women and children, opposing governments and organizations highlighted the importance of laws and movements to stop the growth of female circumcision in their respective countries. In the United States, for example, Congressional bills such as H.R. 3247 have gained the attention of the public due to its intention to prohibit operations to mutilate or circumcise the female genitalia which have already transcended to the United States. Rosenthal (1993) reported that, at press time, the US does not have a law prohibiting female circumcision, increasing the concerns of bill sponsors Patricia Schoeder (Colorado) and Barbara Rose Collins (Michigan) to the possibilities of US victims increasing due to this operation. According to both sponsors, female mutilation is not decreed by any religion and has endangered many generations since the beginning of the practice. In this end, women are taught to believe that their genitalia and desires are not ‘pure’ and call for the need for mutilation .
African countries such as Sudan are also starting to ban female circumcision despite the resistance coming from the communities themselves. In 1946 Sudan, Althaus (1997) cited that many parents rushed their children to midwives for an infibulation when the law banning such practice was declared. While Britain had surrendered in getting public support in banning female circumcision, Sudan still actively tried its best to educate its people about the dangers of circumcision. Western feminists and human rights activists had also taken the issue to the streets, calling for the education of affected communities as there have been reports wherein African women saw the action to be a violation of their culture. Several projects have been announced by international organizations and activists to inform affected areas in order to discuss the harmful effects of female circumcision and new rituals that can replace the concept of circumcision . According to the Pixel Project (2012), the United Nations – alongside the United Nations Population Fund and the United Nations Children’s Fund – have reached out to 16 international organizations and charities to travel around the world to discuss the dangers of female genital mutilation, especially on their home territories. Some of these groups are 28 Too Many (Africa), Campaign Against Female Genital Mutilation (Nigeria, Egypt, the UK and the US), END FGM (European Union, Desert Flower Foundation (Worldwide) and the Orchid Project (UK). These groups currently serve as important advisers to policy makers on how they can utilize their policies to prohibit female genital mutilation and provide aid programs to help victims recover from the ordeal .
The debates continue in discussing the legality and safety of female circumcision or genital mutilations as both parties continue to emphasize as to why the practice should be abolished or acknowledged. While some societies would argue that it is similar to male circumcision in acting as a ‘rite of passage’, there is a flicker that the practice has historical, social and even cultural implications in the region. This makes it somewhat akin to dwindling traditions no longer practiced in the modern world. However, taking into consideration the ethical, physical and psychological impacts of the procedure to women and children; the practice must be stopped before the women is scarred for life. It is important for governments and international organizations to act against female circumcision or genital mutilation because puberty only happens once, and it is important to guide these teenage girls without the use of torture (through circumcision) because it would allow the child to explore her limits and be ready to face the world without fear and subjected scrutiny.
Works Cited
Althaus, Frances. "Female Circumcision: Rite of Passage or Violation fo Rights?" International Family Planning Perspectives 23.3 (1997): 130-133. Print.
Amnesty International. "Where is it practiced?" n.d. END FGM European Campaign. Web. 1 April 2014. <http://www.endfgm.eu/en/female-genital-mutilation/what-is-fgm/where-is-it-practised/>.
Carroll, Janell. Sexuality Now: Embracing Diversity. Belmont: Wadsworth, 2010. Print.
Dorkenoo, Efua and Scilla Elworthy. Female Genital Mutilation. London: Hurst, 2006. Print.
Lewis, Hope. "Between Irua and "Female Genital Mutilation": Feminist Human Rights Discourse and the Cultural Divide." Harvard Human Rights Journal 8 (1995): 1-55. Print.
Nour, Nawal. "Female Genital Cutting: A Persisting Practice." Reviews in Obstetrics and Gynecology 1.3 (2008): 135-139. Print.
Ricci, Susan Scott and Terri Kyle. Maternity and Pediatric Nursing. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health, 2009. Print.
Rosenthal, A. M. "On My Mind; Female Genital Torture." The New York Times 12 November 1993. Web. 1 April 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/12/opinion/on-my-mind-female-genital-torture.html>.
The Pixel Project. "16 Organizations, Charities, and Grassroots Groups Working to Stop Female Genital Mutilation." 1 December 2012. The Pixel Project's "16 for 16" Campaign. Web. 1 April 2014. <http://16days.thepixelproject.net/16-organisations-charities-and-grassroots-groups-working-to-stop-fgm/>.
United Nations Children's Fund. "Statistics by Area/ Female genital mutilation/cutting." February 2013. Childinfo: Monitoring the Situation of Children and Women. Web. 1 April 2014. <http://www.childinfo.org/fgmc_progress.html>.
