FGM

Female genital mutilation happens to women and girls all over the world. For non-medical reasons a females external genitalia is removed fully or partially which often causes other injuries. Female genital mutilation happens to females between the age of 15 and infancy. To females, female genital mutilation is a violation of their human rights.

There are many reasons why FGM happens. These reasons are societal or cultural. In some cultures it is believed that FGM is an initiation into adulthood. This means that the female would be mutilated when she was a teenager just in time for her to turn in to a woman. In order to be classed as part of a certain culture, babies are often mutilated when they are just a few days old. In some cultures FGM occurs to protects the families honour, so not having the daughters genitals mutilated is seen as shameful. Some groups in society carry out FGM because they believe that the female will be more hygienic.

Zola (1972) stated that medicine is a form a social control. The males in the Middle Eastern and African families are using female genital mutilation as a form of social control as they are implying that the women are not good enough or do not live up to their expectation of how a woman should be if they have not had their genitals mutilated. This is part of Illich’s (1975) theory as it promotes capitalism in the Middle East and Africa as the families pay an individual to carry out this practice. This shows that in the Middle East and Africa Illich’s (1975) theory is still very much accurate.

Gordon (1991) states that female genital mutilation is that widespread in the Middle East and Africa it is leading to genital infections which can be passed on (just like HIV), infertility and has led to a rise in stillbirths. There is no medical reason for female genital mutilation, it is an ineffective treatment. This is the view Western societies hold.

Some anthropology theorists view FGM through cultural relativism. Renteln (1998) states that one culture should not have judgements or place opinions on another culture. This means that one culture should not use power and institutions to change other cultures religious practices, even if they think the practices are morally wrong. Female rights activists protest this view as they see female genital mutilation as an act against the human rights of women.

Feminists have made a huge campaign worldwide to fight against female genital mutilation. The techniques of the campaign has lead to lots of media attention meaning society is being educated on this issue. Feminists have used sensitivity to gain the trust of Middle Eastern and African women which means the women are starting to open up about their experiences of FGM leading to education. This education to the Middle Eastern and Western societies has created lots of activists fighting against FGM (Brems, 2001). This shows that Illich’s (1975) theory of medical imperialism is still accurate today as Western activists are using education through the media to change other cultures practices. Because the Western activists think FGM is morally wrong, they are trying to place these morals on to Middle Eastern woman in order to make them think it is also morally wrong.

In the United Kingdom there are two main pieces of legislation that protects females from FGM. These are the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 and the Children Act 2004. However, these laws are not always easy to apply. This is because of the private nature of the procedure. After the mutilation has been carried out it is easy to hide it behind clothes meaning that unless the female reports the case, no one can be brought to criminal justice. Often there is not enough sufficient evidence to take the case to court. Although there are a lot of cases reported in the United Kingdom of individuals who could potentially commit FGM.

Illich’s theory (1975) of medical imperialism is still very much in place today in the Middle East and Africe. However, Western societies it is not. The United Kingdom making laws against female genital mutilation does not support the idea of medical imperialism. The United Kingdom as a society is against FGM so individuals in the United Kingdom, who have come from other countries, must abide by these laws (even if female genital mutilation is part of their cultural practice) in order to avoid criminal consequences. This often leads to females going to Middle Eastern countries and Africa to have the procedure carried out, where hygiene standards may not be as high causing infections. This is because female genital mutilation is not in the medical gaze in the United Kingdom. This means that in the United Kingdom individuals cannot legally make money from carrying out genital mutilation procedures which as stated before is a pointless medical practice.

In conclusion, female genital mutilation is more of a cultural issue than a medical issue. Western organisations are more concerned about the moral issues of female genital mutilation as it is against human rights, more than the medical side of female genital mutilation (such as infertility) as it does not happen often in western societies. Momoh (2005) stated that Somali women do not see FGM as a health problem. This shows that the conflict thoughts on FGM depend on the culture an individual is from, not the medical facts.

Bibliography

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Burrage, H. (2016). Eradicating Female Genital Mutilation: A UK Perspective. Routledge.

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Kertzer, D. Fricke, T. (1997). Anthropological Demography: Toward a New Synthesis. University of Chicago Press.

Legislation.gov.uk. (2004). Children Act 2004. (online). http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/31/contents [Date Accessed 1/5/17].

Momoh, C. (2005). Female Genital Mutilation. Radcliffe Publishing.

Pescosolido, B. Martin, J. McLeod, J. Rogers, A. (2010). Handbook of the Sociology of Health, Illness, and Healing: A Blueprint for the 21st Century. Springer Science & Business Media.

Shell-Duncan, B. Hernlund, Y. (2000). Female “circumcision” in Africa: Culture, Controversy, and Change. Lynne Rienner Publishers.