When we think of circumcision what usually comes to mind is the removal of the foreskin of an infants penis in a clean hospital with sanitized tools. When I think of circumcision I shutter and squirm thinking of the 200+ million young girls and women in various parts of Africa and the middle east whose genitals have been (or will be) mutilated in the name of female circumcision also known as FGM (female genital mutilation).
What’s the big deal, why do I care, and why should you?
According to the World Health Organization:
Female genital mutilation (FGM) includes procedures that intentionally alter or injure female genital organs for non-medical reasons.
FGM is internationally recognized as a violation of the human rights of girls and women.
It is mostly carried out on young girls sometime between infancy and age 15 years.
An estimated 100 to 140 million girls and women worldwide are currently living with the consequences of FGM.
Common Health Consequences of Female Circumcision Include:
Death
Hemorrhaging
Infertility
Shock
Damage to other organs
Infection
Urine retention
Extreme scar tissue
Cysts
Painful menstruation cycles
Torn bladder/vaginal walls
Nerve damage
Child birth obstruction
Painful sexual intercourse
Inability to experience sexual pleasure
What is Female Circumcision?
Depending on the region and culture female circumcision can include any and/or all of the following:
Removing the hood of the clitoris.
Removing the clitoris.
Removing part or all of the labia minora.
Removing part or all of the labia majoria.
Sewing the vaginal opening closed leaving an extremely small opening for the passing of urine/menstrual blood.
Stretching the clitoris and/or labia
Burning the clitoris and surrounding tissue.
Scraping the vagina.
Inserting acidic substances into the vagina to shrink or narrow the vagina.
These circumcisions are not usually done in a clean hospital with sterile tools (but some are). Many of these circumcisions take place in small villages with stones, razors, scissors, knives, and no anesthetic. Most people cannot even fathom any sharp instrument coming close to their genitalia for any reason. In America, women pierce the hood of their clitoris to intensify sexual pleasure. Its unimaginable that there are parts of the world where women are pressured into removing any part of their PRIVATE parts….
Yes, we are talking about young girls and women being tied up, held down, and having their genitals butchered! This practice is not always done by force… but it is often an expectation (tradition) and a rites of passage. Some believe female circumcision garners respect and honor. This is a frightening practice and a dangerous way to gain respect or acknowledgment as a woman. In all honesty…as an outsider looking in, female genital mutilation seems like an extreme way to dishonor and disrespect a woman…by cutting off and discarding parts of the female anatomy… Who benefits from it? How human would I be if I didn’t ask or care?
While it is never our place to dictate what people do with their bodies or to tell people how or what they should believe… do we not have a duty to educate people so that they are able to make informed decisions? Shouldn’t we do whatever we can to bring awareness and spark discussion surrounding the issue?
Girls flee circumcision in Kenya»
200 Marakwet girls forcefully circumcised»
Yemen to reduce the practice of FGM by 30 percent by 2012»
Activists fight female circumcision»
World Health Organization: Female genital mutilation
Maendelo Ya Wanawake Organization
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30 Responses to “Am I Not Human: Female Circumcision”
Living Life Abundantly Adventures
IT'S REALLY SAD THAT EVEN AT THIS AGE WOMEN ARE BEING SUPPRESSED. I FEEL LIKE TO KILL ALL THOSE MEN WHO DO THIS TO WOMEN.
th3e thing is that more than 95% of the ppl who do this to this childrens are theyr mothers.
funny thing is, the men dont usually perform this procedure on the women, it is usually the village elders, who are women
Don't kill 'em, Toyota. Re-educate them. WELL PRESENTED, Mirenda.
It is not sad, it is disgusting! And it is a tradition which is hard to break, but it is really awful.
Yes, people need to be informed of this. In fact, this topic came up at my workplace a few weeks ago and one of my female collegues was completely unaware of this "process". The stories I am familiar fall into the "forced" category on young girls and it breaks my heart.
Thanks for tackling a tough subject.
try to understand the power as well as emotion of women in age of women impowerment.
I really liked this post. Can I copy?
Thank in advance.
Sincerely, Timur Alhimenkov.
That is horrible to think that many young girls are abused like that. I applaud you for raising awareness of this tough subject. More people need to be aware that these awful things are happening so hopefully we can put an end to it.
Any form of FGM should be banned and condemned! Knowing that such cruel acts are in practice are horrible, and the fact that this practice continues is utter madness. Let's all do our part in putting an end to such inhumanitarian acts.
People from those places need to be made aware that FGM does more damage than good. They should even be prosecuted because of doing that!
I lived in africa for 9 yrs. and saw firsthand the effects of FGM on women and girls. I am so proud of you for speaking out, and am glad to see the grassroots organizations in country to stop this practice.
thanks you for this usefull informasion..
i get something what i want to know.. thanks for this informations..
what is even sadder is the face that its not actually men who do this to women. women are doing this to women because of a cultural stigmatism created by men. its so sickening!
Very nice Blog…
Fantastic work! Really shocked by the facts, thanks sharing this information with me.
It is very upseting after knowing the fact.
I am appalled by this practice. It is horrible, it is rape, violation. The consequences in these girls and later women are devastating. I can't understand how you can put your own child through this suffering which affects their whole being.
Education it a major factor to stop this brutality, but also law enforcement. If there are laws which prohibit it but none is held accountable for this action, then it will continue to happen.
Instead of trying to reduce the percentage to a 40%, the UN should aim to eradicate it completely and put all efforts in doing it as soon as possible. We are not in the middle ages. These men and women should know better.
Shame on them.
Oh my god, this is horrible. I really didn't know that this went on.
Everyone think that it is the most awful thing that could ever happen, and it all has to do with where you are from. Yeah, I do agree that I think that it is disgusting, but to those who do it, it is something natural. Think if someone started talking about something that to us just seems like an everyday thing, and put it in their view, it might sound worse than it actually is.
I do not believe that we have any duty to "re-educate" them, change them, or put a stop to anything that they do. We think we do because they do not think like us, because they don't live like we do, because they don't act like we do, ect. This type of thinking is what causes wars and drives us as human beings apart. If we would stop doing this, who knows what it might do for everyone.
Its really disgusting. How the people will tolerate???? I am really praying god about this…….
Really interesting…
a very primitive application
man if there was a god…how could there be so much cruelty in this world…not to speak about this… rape murder terrorism etc. THINK AGAIN
Don't kill 'em, Toyota. Re-educate them. WELL PRESENTED, Mirenda.
This post is horrible.. I can say please educate them so that they will know what are they doing..
Its part of our culture, women have a lower social social position to men and need to be kept in place! Try to understand that we have to keep the women in order.
Marenda — I hope you will continue to support this monthly meme. You are a popular blogger able to bring a great deal of attention to human rights abuses around the nation…
peace, Villager
this is horrible, i had no idea this went on…
My mother was a victim of FGM and I see the effect that it has on her. She does not know what love is. She was forced into a marriage at 16 and is still with my dad, not because of love, because she is totally dependand on him. He also abuses her physically and mentally. As a result, I am scared to marry. I was lucky not to be a victim of FGM but I am campaigning against it because I saw what it did not my mom. I have a daughter and I and raising her to someday become a confidant independant women like me.