Well, it seems that my last post caught the attention of some people. Hehe.. and Bubu posted a good question too. What do I think about female circumcision? Before I dwell into that, let's see what's the deal with female circumcision and how the world is taking it.
Female circumcision is the partial or total cutting away of the external female genitalia. This practice is mostly done in Asia and Africa. It is a fairly new issue because this practice is only known worldwide since the 1950s. Female circumcision is, more often than not, regarded as a cultural and/or religious obligation. It has been practiced by both Muslims and Christians, and possibly a few Jewish sects as well. It is often done during infancy but the ages may vary from four year-olds up to 15 year-olds, and even newly married women. Scientifically, there are no known health benefits from this procedure.
However, there have been many oppositions against female circumcision. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines it as female genital mutilation. This term is derived mainly due to the immense harms that can be inflicted upon women who have undergone circumcision. In order to further understand the gravity of the harms, here are the types of circumcision that are practiced most frequently around the world:
1) Clitoridectomy: part or all of the clitoris is amputated.
2) Excision: both the clitoris and the labia minora ("the lips" that surround the vagina) are removed.
3) Infibulation: it is the most severe form of circumcision. After excision of the clitoris and the labia minora, the labia majora are cut or scraped away to create raw surfaces, which are held in contact until they heal, either by stitching the edges of the wound or by tying the legs together. As the wounds heal, scar tissue joins the labia and covers the urethra and most of the vaginal orifice, leaving an opening that may be as small as a matchstick for the passage of urine and menstrual blood.
Infibulation has become a grave concern as it can be extremely detrimental to women's lives. In the Platform of the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995, female genital mutilation was cited as both a threat to women's reproductive health and a violation of their human rights.
Even the United Nations has taken this issue into consideration. International consensus statements and treaties such as the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child began to include language applicable to female circumcision. These documents, however, did not directly mention the practice, focusing instead on broad categories such as detrimental practices, violence and rights violations.
On the other hand, female circumcision has been practiced for such a long time in Asia and Africa. It has been an embedded culture and no matter how objective a third party views the issue, tackling female circumcision is not an easy endeavour. Efforts to eliminate female circumcision have often been unsuccessful because opponents of the practice ignored its social and economic context. In some cases, external intervention has strengthened the resolve of communities to continue their genital cutting rituals as a way of resisting what they perceive as cultural imperialism.
After having an overview of the issue, it seems as though there won't be a win-win resolution anytime soon. But such deadlock musn't be a reason to not come to a compromise.
I'll analyze the issue from several angles. Firstly, from the perspective of religion. I don't know how female circumcision is done in other cultures or religions, but in Islam it is done by cutting off only the foreskin (outer fold of skin over the clitoris; the prepuce) but not cutting off deeply i.e. the clitoris itself. The practice projects a great deal of sensitivity to the instinctive needs of women, their matrimonal happiness, legitimate enjoyment and also more favourable for their husbands.
However, it must be understood that female circumcision is not a religious obligation. There are no authentic texts in the primary sources of Islam that requires the act of female circumcision. It is permissible but not compulsory.
Secondly, from the medical perspective. Female circumcision practiced in Malaysia and most Asian countries nowadays are mostly done in hospitals and clinics. Experienced doctors will execute the operation and an assurance of minimal risk is given. In addition, the procedure does not involve any forms of mutilation of the female genitalia but only the removal of the prepuce. There are no health risks that are associated with it.
Thirdly, from the contextualization. The main problem is female circumcision done in African countries. Not only African nations lack medical expertise and equipments, the customs and traditions that are practiced are very much detrimental towards women's anatomy. Many of the cultures and traditions require women to undergo excision or infibulation, which are extremely harmful. And the circumcisions are done by village doctors and shamans who do not have adequate (or none at all) medicinal knowledge and the procedures are done roughly.
From the three perspectives I've pointed out, my personal opinion on female circumcision is as such. I am not against female circumcision not because of my religious obligation. I believe that the procedure can be done in ways in which it is not harmful i.e. the removal of the prepuce. However, I am against other female circumcision procedures such as excision and infibulation. There are apparent health risks that can cause long-term health problems i.e. hemorrhage, shock, and stones may form in the urethra and bladder because of obstruction and infection.
Efforts made to ban female circumcision are proven futile. It is conceded that coercion is not the best solution as much as such violent practice needs to be curtailed. The solution that can be used is to mould gradual change in the African community:
1) Community education.
A nationwide study conducted in 1985-1986 by the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives found that female circumcision was practiced in all states and that in five of the then 11 states at least 90% of the women had been cut. In response to this information, the organization designed an eradication campaign with support from Population Action International and the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health. The project trained health workers to teach individuals about the harmful effects of female circumcision and to work through religious organizations, women's organizations and social clubs to mobilize communities against the practice.
2) Alternative rituals
The organization Maendeleo Ya Wanawake carried out a pilot project in the Meru district of Kenya in 1996 to develop an alternative initiation ritual. Some 25 mother-daughter pairs participated in a six-day training session that included information on the consequences of female circumcision and how to defend the decision not to be cut. The session culminated in a coming-of-age celebration planned by the community, excluding circumcision but including gifts and special T-shirts for the initiates, skits, and "books of wisdom" prepared by the parents of each girl.
3) Drama
In Burkina Faso, the director of a local theater group developed a play, based on the experience of his niece, on the consequences of female circumcision; the play is aimed particularly at men. A grant from the Research Action and Information Network for Bodily Integrity of Women (RAINBO) enabled him to videotape the play and show it throughout the region.
All in all, banning female circumcision is not a good solution after all. The oppositions may view the practice as a violation of women and children's rights. However, not all forms of circumcisions are harmful and majority of Asian and African women do not think there is any encroachment of their rights.
As for me, if women want to undergo circumcision, let them do so. But it should only be done by an authorized doctor. Excision and infibulation should not be permitted at all. As for minors, consent from parents are important and they should also follow the abovementioned process of female circumcision. It is the best way to minimize health problems and at the same time, providing the privilige to practice an ancient tradtion.
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