I had this other blog, which I never used, that I was gonna use for these more serious entries about issues that I find very important to bring up. But I only wrote this one entry on that blog and... well, it died. I still want to write these "issue" entries, but I decided I can just as well write them here, since this blog is about my interests and these issues I feel are important. So here's the first. Rough subject, but important.
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Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), also called Female Circumcision, is a cultural procedure, where female genitals are cut either completely or partly away. This is done to girls 0-15 years old, before puberty. It is considered an important rite of passage from a girl to a woman. There are no medical reasons or health benefits why this procedure is done.
There are three major types of Female Genital Mutilation.
In Clitoridectomy, also called "sunna mutilation", only the clitoris is removed.
Excision is the removal of the clitoris and scraping off the inner lips (labia minora). The outer lips (labia majora) are often kept uncut but may be cut away too.
In infibulation the outer and/or inner lips are cut and repositioned to create a covering seal for the vaginal opening. In this case clitoris is not always removed because it is sealed inside the skin. All that is left of the female genitalia, is a small hole, the size of the top of the pinkie. This allows urine and menstrual blood to pass. (Pictures) In this case the woman has to be cut open again for intercourse and childbirth and often sealed shut again, sometimes several times.
The prodecure is often done in very unhygienic circumstances where the girl has a high risk of infection and heavy bleeding and no help near if something goes wrong. The procedure is usually done with a blunt razor blade, scissors or a piece of glass and no disinfectants. It is considered highly shameful to show any sign of fear or pain during the prodecure, even when it's done without any local anaesthesia.
After the excruciatingly painful operation is over, the wound is sewn shut and the girls legs are tied together so the stitches wont rip. The stitches are often thorns, catgut or thread. Urinating after the cutting is so painful that the girl often looses her consciousness. It is also common that the stitches might rip during urinating or while sleeping and the girl has to be sewn again, which starts the whole process of healing from the very beginning.
FGM has been a custom for much longer than any religion of today has been around. Still FGM is often associated with Islam, though the Quran has nothing to say about it and it is practised in countries of several different religions. Still some religious leaders recommend or even command women's genitals to be cut.
In several cultures women are considered impure and unfit to marry if they are not cut. The female genitalia is considered unsightly and dirty without being cut. It is believed that if genitals are not cut, they keep growing until they dangle between ones knees. Women are believed to have a crazed, uncontrollable sex-drive that makes them cheat on their husbands and to sleep with everyone, if not cut. Uncut women are also believed to masturbate constantly and turn lesbian.
In reality FGM causes irreversible life-long health risks and creates unnecessary dangers in child birth. Intercourse is not sexually enjoyable for cut woman, but can be extremely painful. Even urinating and cleaning oneself is uncomfortable, slow and painful.
Female Genital Mutilation is still happening all across the world. It is counted that over 6000 women and girls are still being cut daily. Though whole governments, different health programs and educational agenda's are fighting against the tradition and the support for FGM is slowly dropping. There are countries and areas where FGM has been stopped completely.
The education of women is an important step on ending FGM. Helping people to understand how FGM does not actually help or prevent anything, but only harms women physically and mentally. It is important to make people realize that it does not help make the lives of women any better.
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More about Female Genital Mutilation:
Books:
Movies & Documentaries:
The cut (Downloadable for free)
WWW:
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