University Essay: Female Circumcision as a Human Rights Issue

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of female circumcision (FGM), exploring its historical context, prevalence, and the diverse perspectives surrounding it. It delves into the debate between human rights and cultural relativism, examining the viewpoints of feminist groups, human rights activists, medical practitioners, and religious organizations. The essay highlights the origins of the practice, its geographical distribution, and the various forms it takes, including clitoridectomy and infibulation. It analyzes the health risks associated with FGM, including physical problems, pain, and complications during childbirth. Furthermore, the essay discusses the religious and cultural implications of the practice, societal expectations, and the efforts of international organizations like the United Nations to combat it. Finally, it presents the ethical dimensions of the practice for anthropologists and the challenges faced by women activists in addressing the issue, including socioeconomic problems.

Running Head: FEMALE CIRCUMCISION
Female Circumcision
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Author Note:

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Female Circumcision as a Human Rights Issue or an issue of the cultural relativism
The discussion on the female circumcision measures has been put forward by the various
feminist groups and the women activists all across the globe. The human rights activists and the
medical practitioners with the various religious and the political organizations have raised their
voices in the various instances against the age old traditional custom. The anthropologist along
with the various other activists and the social groups have always tried to rest their belief on the
that the different individuals must always look forward for the various shock values in order to
listen to the various unheard people who have always valued the path of the female circumcision
measures. It is only at this particular point of time that the different people will understand the
various connotations of the cultural meetings and the integration perspective behind the female
circumcision measures that will be influenced by the opinions of the individuals which is rooted
in the basic premise of the cultural imperialism practices around the world.
The origin of the concept and the idea of the female circumcision measures has however
remained vague and unclear from its very inception that is more than 3000 years old. The
practice of the female circumcision measures has been the most prominent practice in the regions
around Africa and also in some areas around the Arabian Peninsula, Malaysia and the region of
Indonesia. The World Health Organization in this respect has however projected its estimates
roughly around 13 million women across the globe who have experienced the practice of the
female circumcision practice whether directly or indirectly. The practice was also prominent in
the early 1990s at that time when clitoridectomies were practiced in the particular regions
practiced in the Western European Regions and the regions around the United States that will
provide the various aspects right from the practice of masturbation that was reduced to the

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practice of the rigidity and the other immigrants who have reintroduced the technique of the
female circumcision mainly in the nations of the West.
The practice of the female circumcision technique will involve the removal practices or
the alteration of the various parts of the external genitalia and the associated parts of the female
body that will involve the removal of the clitoral prepuce that will involve the whole process of
the circumcision that will also involve the process of the removal of the clitoridectomy part from
the female body. This has been till now the most massive procedure that was performed in some
of the particular cultures that may not be circumcised till the women got married. The question
of the female circumcision measures definitely give rise to the controversies and the questions of
the validity of the human rights and the various other human rights issues. The practice
associated with itself the emergence of the practices of terror and the unbearable pain that also
led to the physical problems among the women at times.
The unending series of the cutting and the stitching practices that was exercised on the
body of the women will often result in the built up of the scar tissues and the other complications
at the time of giving birth to the babies. These associated health risks have dated back to the time
of the British Colonialism that have been often not supported by the experiences for those
women who are under the practice of the circumcision measures. The lack of the anesthetic
measures during the entire procedure has left the women terrified with the initiation process that
restricts the honor provided to the women in the society. The loss of the clitons could reduce the
sexual pleasure level of the women and will lead to the desire of the infibulation measures that
refers to the fact that the woman will be sewn up to the unfaithful and the uncertain stage of the
virginity level. The different religious beliefs and the doctrines will underlie certain reasons

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which includes the ensuring of the virginity level before the marriage starts for any woman that
will command the phanaronic form of the circumcision levels.
There are also various cultural implication that are attached with the practice of the
female circumcision practice among the women of those particular regions. It however becomes
very important to understand and analyze the procedure for the mothers when their daughters
went through such a practice. The most common and the contentious issue in this regard is the is
the global advocacy measures for preaching the idea of the human rights. The societal
expectations had to be fulfilled for the purpose of any community regarding the violations of the
human rights issue. Finally to suggest the fact that that the women of the community will
practice the various measures of the female circumcision practices that will be controlled and
maintained by the women of the particular community.
There were many efforts by the organizations like the United Nations to avert the terror
of the women going through the circumcision practice and also resulted in the severe bans on the
female circumcision practices that were imposed by the respective government of the country.
The International Conference on the Status of Women in the year 1995 was all; about the
condemnation of the practice where the practice was also referred to as the “rescue and
civilizations from the attack on cultures.”
Finally, it can be stated the practice of the female circumcision practice will present the question
of the ethical dimensions for the various anthropologists. If they ignored the funds the associated
mental principles will reinstate the broader aspect of the anthropology that are characterized by
the social movements led by the women in that particular community. The interference will
however have a little impact and will lead to a little extent in the eradication perspectives of the

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different foreign agencies that will create the backlash for the various practices underground. The
various socioeconomic problems will be faced by the women activist of the various regions.

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Bibliography
Attached article on the Female Circumcision