Female Genital Mutilation

5 Pages 1212 Words

Female Circumcision or Genital Mutilation?
Should we intrude on other cultures traditional practices when we believe they violate basic human rights? As Americans, we view issues much the way they pertain to our culture; it was how we were raised. For instance, female circumcision takes place within many African cultures. Debates rage about this custom, whether it is legite or inhumane. Human rights laws invoke a realm of justice and morality beyond and superior to countries, cultures, and religions. Through the course of this paper, an explanation will be given as to why African cultures view the practice the way they do, and why human rights activists have taken such a strong stance against it.
First, it must be clear exactly what the procedure entails in order to show why it compels people to take a stand. Genital cutting consists of two different traditions. A clitoridectomy, which is the removal of a girl’s clitoris and infibulation, which involves removing the inner lips and sewing the outer lips (labia) of the vagina, so as to constrict the vaginal opening. The goal is to make the skin a blank patch of skin, where only a tiny new opening is created for passage. One or both practices can be performed.
In Arabic circumcision, tahara, means “to purify.” It is an essential aspect of a women’s identity that ensures chastity, promotes cleanliness and fertility, and enhances the beauty of a woman’s body. Female circumcision is cloaked in festivity. In some societies the experience includes instruction in cooking, crafts, child care, and the use of herbs. Once cut, the girls suddenly become marriageable, and they are allowed to wear jewelry and womanly garments that advertise their charms. Other societies, such as the Masai, undergo the operation publicly. Here the cutting becomes a test of bravery and proof that they will be able to endure the pain of childbirth. Also, it gives the girls status in their communities. It p...