Female Genital Mutilation Essay -- essays research papers

For one minute I just want you to think you were born a female in an African country. Did you no you are 90% more likely to have had gone through some form of female genital mutilation. Every day, thousands of girls are targeted for mutilation. Like torture, female genital mutilation (FGM) involves the deliberate infliction of severe pain and suffering. Its effects can be life-threatening. Most survivors have to cope with the physical and mental scars for the rest of their lives. Female genital mutilation (FGM) is the partial or complete removal of the external female genitals for cultural rather than medical reasons. Other names for FGM include female circumcision or ritual female surgery. It is performed in some African, South American, Asian and Middle Eastern countries. Mutilation is a cultural rather than a religious practice, and its origins are unknown. Usually, it is performed from a few days after birth to puberty, but in some regions, the torture can be put off until just before marriage or the seventh month of pregnancy Globally, approximately 5 girls are mutilated every minute." If we do the math, we discover that equates to 300 per hour, or 7,200 per day, or 50,400 per week, or 2,620,800 per year. Considering that women make up 49% of the world, form 35% of its paid labor force, head 33% of its households, make up 95% of its nurses, perform 62% of its work hours, yet receive 10% of the world's income, own 1% of its property, make up 70% of its poor, 66% of the illiterate, 80% of the refugees, 75% of the sick, it seems to me that women--in these country’s live in a male dominated world and are there for convenience not happiness. The different types of FGM are classified by the extent of the surgery involved, and include: †¢ Type I -. The hood of skin that sits over the clitoris is removed. †¢ Type II - The entire clitoris is removed. †¢ Type III - The external genitals are partly or totally removed and the wound stitched together, leaving a small gap to allow the passage of menstrual fluid and urine †¢ Type IV - other practices including piercing, cauterizing, scraping or using corrosive substances designed to scar and narrow the vagina. In most cases only a small opening the size of the tip of a matchstick is left for th... ...fertility †¢ Painful sexual intercourse †¢ Reduced sexual enjoyment †¢ Childbirth difficulties, such as severe tearing and hemorrhage †¢ Posttraumatic stress syndrome, including nightmares and flashbacks. If this pain in known to all of the communities taking part in this practice, why is it still legal to perform? This violence has been inflicted systematically on millions of women and girls for centuries. Governments in the countries concerned have done little or nothing effective to prevent the practice. "FGM is an issue that concerns women and men who believe in equality, dignity and fairness to all human beings, regardless of gender, race, religion or ethnic identity. It must not be seen as the problem of any one group or culture, whether African, Muslim or Christian. FGM is practiced by many cultures. It represents a human tragedy and must not be used to set one person against the next, one religious group against the other, or even women against men." But just think, is it really necessary? Has anyone even bothered to ask What do these women truly want?