Female Genital Mutilation, A Worldwide Issue
...birth. Girls are usually “operated” on at three years of age, however, some are much older. The mutilation is generally performed under unsanitary conditions with little to no anesthetic. Infection and death are common. This practice is thought to have begun in Egypt approximately two thousand years ago and has been performed on an estimated one hundred twenty eight million women, although this estimate may be low considering that many women do not report the mutilation. A girl who is “uncircumcised” is considered unclean and will not marry. It is believed that it is fatal to a man if his penis touches her clitoris. It is a guarantee that a woman will remain a virgin and/or be sexually faithful to her husband. These are just a few of the justifications given for mutilating these women. These procedures are being performed primarily in Africa and the Middle East, although there are thousands of cases in the United States. It has been outlawed in Britain, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Kenya, Egypt, Senegal and recently, the United States, however, the United States courts still do not hold precedence over these cases. In 1994, Congresswoman Patricia Shroeder introduced a bill to outlaw female genital mutilation in the United States, it took nearly two years to be approved. Although the practice is illegal in many countries it is difficult to monitor and enforce, as it is often times not reported and performed in remote villages where the government has little access. Various organizations, including The World Health Organization, UNICEF and the United Nations, believe this mutilation to be a violation of human rights and hope to eradicate the procedure. It is believed that a more direct approach is necessary to do this, such as sending teachers, scientists and medical personnel to educate the practitioners to the medical dangers and psychological ramifications of this procedure. With sadness, I realize the ways in which other countries still regard women as second-class citizens. Female genital mutilation, no right to vote in many countries, female infants murdered in favor of male babies, women being arrested and imprisoned for being the victims of rape and so on… We have made many steps towards equality in the United States, however, we need to also make steps to help other countries advance by freeing its women from tyranny and oppression. We as a “super-power” need to concern ourselves with the state of the world, not ...