Originally posted at http://minneapolitanmademoiselle.blogspot.com/
Welcome to Day 7 of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence. Today's topic is female genital cutting.
Female genital cutting (FGC) is the cultural practice of partially or totally removing the external female genitalia. FGC is practiced in countries around the world, but the majority of FGC happens in Africa and the Middle East. It is performed on girls and women of all ages, though it most often occurs before a girl reaches puberty. It is estimated that between 100 million and 140 million girls and women worldwide have received FGC.
There are many reasons why different cultural groups engage in FGC and many superstitions surrounding the practice. It is often a community tradition and parents often cite wanting to protect their daughter's marriage prospects as a reason for this practice.
Unfortunately, this practice can have extremely harmful health problems, including bleeding or hemorrhaging, infection, pain, trauma, problems going to the bathroom, issues with having sex normally, problems with gynecological health, higher risk of STI infections, problems during pregnancy and delivery and psychological and emotional stress.
Given that the practice can be extremely harmful, a few important questions arise:
Should we as a concerned community intervene in countries where the practice is occurring?
What about FGC that is happening in the U.S.?
How do we acknowledge the validity of cultural practices while ensuring adherence to universal human rights standards?
Food for thought.
MM
Source:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Female genital cutting: Frequently asked questions. Available at: http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/female-genital-cutting.pdf">http://www.womenshealth.gov/...