Female Genital Mutilation Persuasive Essay

Student’s Name

University

Course

Professor

Date

Female Genital Mutilation Persuasive Essay

Women’s rights, human rights. Female genital mutilation is a cultural practice in my native culture that should end. According to Toubia (2018), female genital mutilation (FGM) is a traditional ritual involving cutting female genitals to prepare girls for womanhood. It is done for no medical reason. It is most common in Africa, Asia, and Muslim cultures. According to her, the Muslim community cites religion as the main reason for practicing it. At the same time, in the African context, it was looked upon as an indigenous cultural practice passed from our ancestors. According to Reisel et al. (2019), “It is a source of continuing concern that the number of women living with the physical and mental scars of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is rising worldwide” (p.1).  According to Reisel et al. (2015), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimated that 130 million women and girls are victims of FGM worldwide. She also states that migrants from FGM-practicing countries continue with the practice; for example, FGM is increasingly identified in the UK because of migrants from FGM Practising countries. This is a worrying trend that is still affecting my continent, Africa, and should end. This paper discusses the FGM practice and why it should be abolished.

My Argument

My argument is that FGM should end. According to Obiora et al. (2020), “FGM/C is still widely practiced in Africa, and there may have been an increase in early-age FGM/C in some communities” (p.1). According to her, “although widely recognized as a violation of human rights, FGM/C is believed to be an ancient practice originating from communities wanting to control female sexual behavior and ensure women’s virginity by reducing their sexual desire” (p.1).  According to her, UNICEF conducted a study in 2013 and found out that FGM is still carried out in countries such as Egypt, Kenya, and Sudan. Obiora et al. (2020) explain that the practice is done through “Medicalization of FGM/C,” “which refers to situations where any category of healthcare provider conducts FGM/C, whether in a public or a private facility, at home or elsewhere” (p.1). In today’s society, professional doctors do FGM behind closed doors or secretly in hospitals. FGM is still common, as stated by Obiora et al. (2020) that “more than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone some form of FGM/C in 30 countries across Africa and the Middle East, and another 30 million girls are at risk in the next decade” (p.1). Obiora et al. (2020) also stated that a report by UNICEF found that “eight African countries have an FGM/C incidence of more than 80%; Somalia has the highest incidence of 98%, followed by Guinea, Djibouti, and Egypt with an incidence of more than 90% and Eritrea, Mali, Sierra Leone and Sudan with an incidence of more than 80%” (p.1). FGM is a harmful practice that endangers girls’ lives as they do not require it; as my favorite philosopher, Joseph Osuigwe Chidiebere, said, “Girls are well created, and it is unnecessary and irrelevant to cut any part of their bodies.” Thus, this supports my argument that FGM should end.

Counterargument

The Abolishment of FGM is Because Western Countries Impose their Western Values onto African Communities

Critics urge that the movement to end FGM is because of Western countries imposing their Western values onto African communities. According to Bavel et al. (2020), “Postcolonial feminists and anthropologists have criticized anti-female genital mutilation (FGM) efforts for being ethnocentric and for imposing ‘Western’ values onto African communities” (p.1). He also stated that in Kenya, a medical doctor “has petitioned against Kenya’s Prohibition of FGM Act, arguing that the Act is unconstitutional and the entrenchment of Western values” (p.1). It is true that the abolishment of FGM is from Western countries, but regardless of this, FGM should not be promoted as it poses a health hazard to the girls involved. It is not correct that the abolishment of FGM is only because of Western countries since, in today’s society, Africans are also against the practice. Thus, the critics urging that the abolishment of FGM practice is a Western idea should be discouraged.

FGM is a Woman’s Right to Health Care.

Critics also urge that FGM is a woman’s right to health care. Bavel et al. (2020) stated that according to the Kenyan doctor, “the criminalization of medicalized FGM denies ‘willing adult women’ access to safe and hygienic circumcisions and therefore infringes on their right to ‘the highest attainable standard of health including the right to health care” (p.1). He also states that the act criminalizes all forms of FGM in Kenya regardless of the girl’s age or consent medicalized. The medicalization of FGM to give the women who are willing to undertake the practice a choice and a way of doing it safely is untrue; this is because FGM is not a healthcare necessity, and so, by not doing it, the women’s right to health care is not being compromised. Thus, FGM is not a woman’s right to health care.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the practice of FGM should be abolished. The method of FGM poses a health hazard and is meant to control female sexual behavior and ensure women’s virginity by reducing their sexual desire. Those who practice FGM do not consider the health repercussions of the result of the practice. The critics of my argument state that abolishing FGM is a Western idea that should be discouraged. The medicalization of FGM should also be considered an unlawful practice as there is no medical benefit of FGM. FGM can cause severe physical and psychological harm, including chronic pain, infection, infertility, and difficulty urinating or having sexual intercourse. FGM is often performed on young girls without consent and can lead to long-term emotional trauma. Additionally, it is recognized as a violation of human rights by the World Health Organization (WHO) and many other international organizations. Therefore, it should be discouraged, and efforts should be made to educate communities about the harms of FGM and provide support for those affected.

References

Obiora, O. L., Maree, J. E., & Nkosi-Mafutha, N. (2020). Female genital mutilation in Africa: scoping the landscape of evidence. International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences, 12, 100189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijans.2019.100189

Reisel, D., & Creighton, S. M. (2019). Long-term health consequences of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Maturitas, 80(1), 48-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2019.10.009

Toubia, N. (2018). Female genital mutilation. In Women’s rights human rights (pp. 224-237). Routledge.

Van Bavel, H. (2022). Is Anti-FGM Legislation Cultural Imperialism? Interrogating Kenya’s Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Act. Social & Legal Studies, 09646639221118862. https://doi.org/10.1177/096466392211188