Female Gential Mutilation,A Barbaric Practice

[Poetic_Princess]

Female Genital Mutilation, A Barbaric Practice

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a destructive, invasive procedure that is usually performed on girls before puberty ranging
From ages of 4 through to 16 years of age.
It is a cultural operation in which girls around the ages of 12 to 15
To purify them for marriage so that they would not stray and commit adultery.
FGM originated in Africa. It was, and remains, a cultural, not a religious practice.
Among individuals and groups opposed to the mutilation, it is seen as a method of reducing the sexual response of women in order to make them less likely to become sexually active before marriage or to seek an extra-marital affair after marriage.
To some who promote the operation, it is seen as a cultural requirement that has health benefits and makes women more physically beautiful. These views are not shared by the rest of the world.
The operation is forced on approximately 6,000 girls per day, worldwide -- about one every 15 seconds. Since FGM is practiced when the girls are young, they are unable to give their informed consent.
There are over 30 million mutilated women currently living in Nigeria, and about 24 million in Ethiopia and Eritrea. Various groups estimate that from 114 to 130 million women worldwide has had the operation. FGM is outlawed in some countries where it had been widely practiced, such as Kenya and Senegal. It is criminalized in some western countries, where it is normally practiced only by a small number of recent immigrants.

THE PROCESS OF HELL
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is practiced in many forms:

Sunna circumcision in which the tip of the clitoris and/or its covering (prepuce) are removed.

Clitoridectomy where the entire clitoris, the prepuce and adjacent labia are removed.

Infibulation (a.k.a. Pharaonic circumcision) which is a clitoridectomy followed by sewing up of the vulva. A small opening is left to allow urine and menstrual blood to pass. 1 A second operation is done later in life to reverse some of the damage. In some cultures, the woman is cut open by her husband on their wedding night with a double edged dagger. She may be sewn up again if her husband leaves on a long trip.
Because of poverty and lack of medical facilities, the procedure is frequently done under less than hygienic conditions, and often without anesthetic by other than medically trained personnel. Anesthesia is rarely used. Razor blades, knives or scissors are usually the instruments used. The In the rural Mossi areas of Burkina Faso, group female circumcisions are scheduled every three years in many villages. Girls aged from 5 to 8 are assembled by their mothers into groups of up to 20. The circumcision "uses a knife-like instrument, the barga, reserved specifically for this purpose; after each operation she simply wipes the knife on a piece of cloth, sometimes rinsing it in water first." In some areas of Africa, FGM is delayed until two months before a woman gives birth. This practice is based on the belief that the baby will die if she/he comes into contact with their mother's clitoris during birth. We are unaware of any medical evidence to support this belief.

Why it is Done? The most ridiculous and unlikely reasons known:

The justification for the operation appears to be largely grounded in a desire to terminate or reduce feelings of sexual arousal in women so that they will be much less likely to engage in pre-marital intercourse or adultery. The clitoris holds a massive number of nerve endings, and generates feelings of sexual arousal when stimulated.
Uncircumcised women in countries where FGM is normally performed have difficulty finding a marriage partner. Men typically prefer a circumcised wife because they are considered more likely to be faithful. Other claims in support of FGM are:

The clitoris is dangerous and must be removed for health reasons. Some believe that it is a poisonous organ, which can cause a man to sicken or die if contacted by a man's penis. Others believe that men can become impotent by contacting a clitoris, or that a baby will be hydrocephalic (born with excess cranial fluid) if its head contacts the clitoris during birth. Some believe that the milk of the mother will become poisonous if her clitoris touches the baby during childbirth.

Bad genital odors can only be eliminated by removing the clitoris and labia minora.

FGM prevents vaginal cancer.

An unmodified clitoris can lead to masturbation or lesbianism.

FGM prevents nervousness from developing in girls and women.

FGM prevents the face from turning yellow.

FGM makes a woman's face more beautiful.

If FGM is not done, older men may not be able to match their wives' sex drive and may have to resort to illegal stimulating drugs.

An intact clitoris generates sexual arousal in women which can cause neuroses if repressed.

These claims appear to have little support outside of countries where FGM is common.

The fear of AIDS has been used by both sides of this issue. Shiek Badri stated in 1997-JUN: "Those who are not circumcised get AIDS easily" But opponents to the practice sometimes claim that AIDS is spread by the unhygienic practices during the procedure itself.
The procedure has been banned in several African nations, including Burkina Faso, Djibouti, the Central African Republic, Ghana, Guinea, Senegal, and Togo yet it goes on and still is very much present today as it was in the past.

Very few brave girls get away from being mutilated they have to run for their lives for instance
Philister Akenda, 16 from Kenya
"My parents said I was a big girl so I must be circumcised and get married.
"They wanted me to be married to a 65-year-old man who was already a grandfather.
I had finished my primary education and got a place at Masai Secondary School.
I wanted to be educated first and I thought I was still young."

Elizabeth Koperper, 12 from Kenya
"I was scared of being circumcised when I learnt that my father was preparing for the ceremony.
"The old men in our village were talking about it.
"So I escaped with the others through the forest.
"I am happy to be here."

It is sad and hard to swallow the hardships and tribulations many women all over the world have to go through, when will this be stopped completely, when a young girl dies from the operation but that too may have happened but yet no one cares about it and all the ills and pain gets from this act such as hemorrhage, shock, painful scars, keloid formation, labial adherences, clitoral cysts, chronic urinary infection, and chronic pelvic infections. Later in life, it can cause kidney stones, sterility, sexual dysfunction, depression, and various gynecological and obstetric problems.

All these things happen due to an act which is cultural and not as told by others as being religious, an act which claims to protect it’s young women from committing adultery for all those who support, I don’t know how they that support such a thing can live with themselves, one who does such a thing lives and dwells within a very sicken and ignorant mind.

[hailiniemperor]

Thank you empress for this article. Reading this made me cringe. I have heard of this before though but I did not know it originated in Africa. I had read about it in a book called Princess by a Middle Eastern woman. These practices are absolutely diabolically horrific. It appalls me that there are men out there that would approve of this method. They obviously do not trust any woman. And thus cannot truly love any woman. My heart and blessings go out to those poor girls that have to endure such atrocities just to please an ignorant state of mind. Yes, Barbarian practices go on all over the world in every country, every state. I yearn for a day when these dirty acts can be made clean and righteousness rule. May Selassie I burn them! Grace.

[Jere]

Some years ago I met a few girls from Africa ( I don't remember exactly fom where they were) who had to escape from their home villages because of this. One of the girls was nine when her parents tried to force her to get her body mutilated. They told me that many girls in the villages nearby had died bacuse of the bleeding, and many of those who survived had dangerous infections. The bad hygiene and the terrible treatment probably didn't increase the chanses of a succesfull operation.

I can't understand why the parents are willing to do this to their children, they must know how dangerous and painfull it is. But I guess it is a old tradition, how stupid it may be, and it will be hard to put a end to it.
Because of that the least the western-world could do is send some medical help ( maybe they have done it, I don't know ).

RastafarI

ps. i'm from Finland so my english is not very good, sorry.

[Poetic_Princess]

Greets Jere

Many persons in Africa considers this to be a cultural tradition not a religious one, cause it is up to a particular tribe to whether if they want they women to be mutilated or not.
In regards of the westerns sending help even if they did at times it maybe to late or even if they cared at all to send help because many westerns wouldn't take it as such as a serious issues or may not want to get invovle in such things.

[Jere]

Yes I, I don't think the rest of the world cares a lot about Africa unless they can get some sort of profit from it.
If something like this would be happening in Europe the rest of the world would surely send help.
Here we see once again what Africa, and the black population really means to the white people. I know this might sound a little odd coming from a white boy, but things like this really make me angry.

RastafarI

[Poetic_Princess]

Blessings Jere
It seem the act of mutilation has caught the attention of a Dr.Omar Abdulcadir and now he wants it too be done legally in the hospital where he works calling it a "Symbolic Mutilation".

Doctor suggests 'symbolic' mutilation


Dr Abdulcadir's operation involves withdrawing blood from the clitoris
A Somali-born doctor now practising in Italy is seeking to be allowed to perform a "symbolic" operation as an alternative to female genital mutilation (FGM) for African immigrants in the country.
Florence-based Dr Omar Abdulcadir has proposed that the hospital where he works should allow him to perform the operation, to prevent women taking their children back to Africa to have it done illegally.

Genital mutilation, a traditional practice amongst many African communities, has been linked with a number serious injuries and malformations - including a risk of death in childbirth.

"We see the complications with genital mutilation, we see little babies go back to their countries and have mutilation," Dr Abdulcadir told the BBC World Service's Outlook programme.

"This is the only way that we can help."

'No pain'

Dr Abdulcadir's proposed operation is to withdraw blood from the clitoris using local anaesthetic.

"We break in with the needle, and we have one or two drops of blood," he explained.

"We don't have an injury, no pain, and we save the condition of these people."

He added that this type of operation was very different to traditional female genital mutilation, which, in the most extreme cases, can involve the complete removal of the clitoris and labia and the sewing up of the vagina, leaving only a small opening for urine and menstrual blood - a process known as infibulation.

Dr Abdulcadir said that his operation was "not mutilation" but a "symbolic alternative."

Female circumcision is a highly controversial issue, which raises many conflicting and heartfelt views.

Many women's groups, particularly in the West, are horrified at a practice that can leave girls with serious injuries and malformations, including dysmenorrhoea - when women are unable to have periods - sterility and infertility, and other complications during pregnancy.

But others view it as a religious requirement in order to keep girls chaste.

And women in some traditional societies say that girls who haven't been subjected to the practice may be shunned and unable to marry.

 We are working against FGM and of course, as African women, we are against this operation on girls' bodies

Marian Ismail
Association of Somali Mothers and Children  
Dr Abdulcadir said that there was a real problem with women taking their children to be mutilated - and that it was happening in Italy.

"Some of them want to do the genital mutilation. They either want to go back home, or they try to get someone to perform this tradition in Europe," he stated.

"I see many people that now have children who are 10 or 11 years old. They came to Europe five or six years ago. They are mutilated. I think somebody has done this."

Opposition

However, other women's groups have attacked Dr Abdulcadir's plans, arguing that female genital mutilation should not be allowed in any form.

"We are very angry about this," Marian Ismail, president of the Milan-based Association of Somali Mothers and Children, told Outlook.

"We are working against FGM and of course, as African women, we are against this operation on girls' bodies."

She added that, while it was important to preserve the differences between African and Western culture, this did not apply to FGM.

And she argued that her group had been explaining to Somali women that FGM was not a part of Islamic tradition.

Changing attitudes

This had met with some success, she said - in 1990, 99% of female babies had FGM performed on them, but that figure was now 60%.

She said that the Somali community it Italy had "really changed their mentality.

"There are not more than 100 girls at risk in Italy," she added.

Dr Abdulcadir said that he himself would be happy to see the practice disappear.

"My proposal is one of 1,000 proposals," he said.

"If they have some other proposal, I will accept. I want only to save these children, only save these little babies."


 Really do you think he should be allowed to this even if he says "no pain" i don't think so, i dont think any woman, young old or small should be mutilated period.It is just wrong in my eyes what good is it anyway, None

[alisha.]

The primary reason that i was posting this message was that it is a requirement for a written assignment for one of my college courses. I was given a list of issues, and was asked to respond to whichever one I was most interested in. When i came upon female genital mutilation, i realized that this is a topic that I knew very little about. After reading up on this issue i was both disgusted and outraged that something as inhumane as this actually occurs in various countries throughout the world. The words that sent shivers down my spine was the fact that in some cultures the woman is cut open by her husband on their wedding night with a double edged dagger, and that she may be sewn up again if her husband leaves on a long trip. My heart goes out to these women, as I feel that this is an absolutely unfair and demeaning practice. I understand however, that this is seen as part of their cultural practices, but cultural or not, there is no reason for this unnecessary form of mutilation to continue. Although I have been greatly disturbed after reading up on FGM, I feel that I am no longer ignorant towards issue.

[Ryan_Jacques]

The primary reason for my response to this posting was for a college assignment.Female Genital Mutalation, what a crazy procedure,it is said to purify a women, that is crazy talk. Some argue that FGM is a cultural and a religous act. It is crazy to think that removing a part of the human body is religous. There is no other major religion that takes part in this procedure. As a guy, I couldn't even get close to fathom the pain that a women would go through. And I couldn't even think of putting my daughter through it. But, the thing that causes the problem that it is a cultral thing that takes part in a different country. In different culturals there are tribes that pierce there face and body to prove there man hood and status among the tribe. Mutatlation is mutalation weathers its the genital or the face. So it is hard to point fingers at what is right or wrong when it comes to cultrual mutilation.

[Poetic_Princess]

Blessings to one and all

FGM natural doesn't help noone and honestly i can't tell you all why they continues to do it, I dont know what feeling they get after they do such a procedure on a woman or girl.I honestly feel they lack the information on what this harsh procedure does to woman, and all the sicknesses one can receive from having this done to them repeatedly.
My heart and soul honestly does go out to these women and young girls.

[JComeau]

I began to research female genital mutilation for my culture diversity class assignment, I had known very little about this topic but from what I did know, I was not impressed.
I do understand that it a culture practice, but i do not understand their reasoning for this.  While I was doing my research I found that this is done to prevent the womens faces from turning yellow and that having this procedure done, make the women more beautiful.  No matter if the women has the procedure done or not they are beautiful and should not be led to believe any differently.  
Female Genital Mutilation is not even done by a doctor, but is done by a mid-wife or the mother of the girl with other women holding her down becuase she can feel everything that is going on.  I was also disgused to find that this is perfromed with unproper material, it has been done with a razor, broken glass, and even a lid off a tin can.  The culture belives that having this procedure done will help prevent some pointless things but yet it causes death and HIV.
Personally I do not agree with this culture practice, I have read up to see if there was any information to gear me to understand why this is done, but the negatives far beat out the positives.

[Jahari Gamba]

Jambo family..i remember once seeing this practice on a documentary. It is practiced in some Afrikan tribes only on those women who voluntarily train to become warriors. As warriors, they will not have sexual desires.
It is destructive and painful..since sometimes it is done with a barbed-wire or a small knife looking tool.
Again..this is the people's culture..and i think we shouldn't criticize..
Peace and Uhuru,
Zane Rodulfo aka Jahari Gamba.

[Poetic_Princess]

Greetings Kalamity
Whether this is there culture or not I am a woman and it is something that should be talked about because the women who is having it done to them are afraid to speak out, about it and against it,so i would keep on at it whether you choose to think of it as criticism,so be it. Also if you read my first post right through you would see it is not just done to warriors it is done to all females from ages 4 and up and even if a woman wants to become a warrior that still doesn't give anyone the RIGHT to mutilate their bodies.We are human and we would have sexual desires at some point in our lives,that is how we are made.

ask yourself this if you wanted to become a warrior Would you want to be mutilated, so that you couldn't have sexual desires as they claim?

[justyboy]

about FGM....I think it is pretty grotesque and should be against the law.. for someone to go through so much pain just so that they can not be pleassured is beyond my understanding....to the same commensurate i think circumcission is ok when your an adult if you haven't had it when you were little....I know it is there choice wheter or not to get it done, i just think that nobody should have to go through so much pain for anything....

[jessica_rupert]

I have to say that I agree with you!  Whether this is there culture or not I am a woman and it is something that should be talked about and stopped!!  It's absolutely absurd to think that a mother could do this to her own daughter!!  the women who engage in these acts claim that they do it to keep their traditions alive! They claim that it is their way of celebrating a girl's right of passage into womanhood!  That is rediculous!!!!!!  There are so many other ways that you can celebrate that without having to mutilate and excise!!!  Female Genital Mutilation needs to be stopped because it is a crime against women!!!!

[Yann]

Several names here on this thread (and possibly others) appear to be from one poster. Can you all clarify this?