Female genital mutiliation

[Luddly Neddite]

I've just been watching a documentary called Sarabah about a Senegalese musician traveling to villages ad doing free programs about FGM.

Two things really stand out in the footage of these people - One is that they speak 3 languages and the other is that some percentage of men are at least willing to consider ending the "tradition". And the majority of women.

It will be a long time before its completely abandoned though.

 

[waltky]

Old country customs find their way to America...

Study: Number of US Girls, Women at Risk of Genital Mutilation Triples
January 14, 2016 — More than half a million women and girls in the United States live at risk of female genital mutilation, a threefold increase in recent years because of the rise in immigrants from countries where it is practiced, a government study said Thursday.

The number of U.S. women and girls who have undergone the actual procedure is unknown, however, because of a lack of reliable data, said the study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report said the estimated 513,000 women and girls at risk were born or have a parent who was born in a nation where female cutting is a tradition. Female genital mutilation remains traditional in many African countries, as well as in South Asia and the Middle East, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated as many as 140 million women have been subjected to the practice.

A counselor holds up cards used to educate women about female genital mutilation (FGM).​

The practice, which involves removal of the external genitalia, has been illegal for 20 years in the United States. "This shows it's not just something that happens 'over there' but it's something that happens in this country," said Shelby Quast, Americas director for Equality Now, a global group that works to end female genital mutilation and cutting (FGM/C). "These girls are as American as any other girls, yet they're facing something very, very life-altering," she said.

Ancient ritual can be fatal

The risk has grown fourfold for U.S. girls younger than 18, said the CDC study. The ancient ritual, often shrouded in secrecy and widely condemned as a serious violation of women's rights, causes many health problems that can be fatal. The study said women and girls with family rooted in Egypt, Ethiopia and Somalia were most commonly found at risk in the United States. "The increase resulted from the fact that the U.S. population originating from FGM/C countries has risen sharply in recent decades," said the study, published online in the March/April edition of Public Health Reports.

А traditional surgeon is seen holding razor blades used to carry out female circumcision, also known as female genital mutilation.​

The 513,000 women and girls at risk in 2012, the most recent year data were available, more than tripled from the 168,000 at risk in the last CDC count in 1990, it said. Some immigrants send their daughters back to their home countries in what is called "vacation cutting," which also is illegal under U.S. law, the study noted. The CDC count boosts public awareness and supports stronger law enforcement, Quast said, adding that many health care workers and teachers are unaware of the law and should be trained for dealing with survivors or girls at risk.

Study: Number of US Girls, Women at Risk of Genital Mutilation Triples

 

[flacaltenn]

Old country customs find their way to America...

Study: Number of US Girls, Women at Risk of Genital Mutilation Triples
January 14, 2016 — More than half a million women and girls in the United States live at risk of female genital mutilation, a threefold increase in recent years because of the rise in immigrants from countries where it is practiced, a government study said Thursday.

The number of U.S. women and girls who have undergone the actual procedure is unknown, however, because of a lack of reliable data, said the study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report said the estimated 513,000 women and girls at risk were born or have a parent who was born in a nation where female cutting is a tradition. Female genital mutilation remains traditional in many African countries, as well as in South Asia and the Middle East, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated as many as 140 million women have been subjected to the practice.

A counselor holds up cards used to educate women about female genital mutilation (FGM).​

The practice, which involves removal of the external genitalia, has been illegal for 20 years in the United States. "This shows it's not just something that happens 'over there' but it's something that happens in this country," said Shelby Quast, Americas director for Equality Now, a global group that works to end female genital mutilation and cutting (FGM/C). "These girls are as American as any other girls, yet they're facing something very, very life-altering," she said.

Ancient ritual can be fatal

The risk has grown fourfold for U.S. girls younger than 18, said the CDC study. The ancient ritual, often shrouded in secrecy and widely condemned as a serious violation of women's rights, causes many health problems that can be fatal. The study said women and girls with family rooted in Egypt, Ethiopia and Somalia were most commonly found at risk in the United States. "The increase resulted from the fact that the U.S. population originating from FGM/C countries has risen sharply in recent decades," said the study, published online in the March/April edition of Public Health Reports.

А traditional surgeon is seen holding razor blades used to carry out female circumcision, also known as female genital mutilation.​

The 513,000 women and girls at risk in 2012, the most recent year data were available, more than tripled from the 168,000 at risk in the last CDC count in 1990, it said. Some immigrants send their daughters back to their home countries in what is called "vacation cutting," which also is illegal under U.S. law, the study noted. The CDC count boosts public awareness and supports stronger law enforcement, Quast said, adding that many health care workers and teachers are unaware of the law and should be trained for dealing with survivors or girls at risk.

Study: Number of US Girls, Women at Risk of Genital Mutilation Triples

What a fun thought. That the US is now hosting this practice.

Right up there on the unspoken agenda of slavery..

 

[Agit8r]

It's good that it is going away, albeit slowly.

Maybe someday we'll be enlightened enough to give up male genital cutting here.

 

[Muhammed]

It's good that it is going away, albeit slowly.

Maybe someday we'll be enlightened enough to give up male genital cutting here.

Why?

 

[Agit8r]

It's good that it is going away, albeit slowly.

Maybe someday we'll be enlightened enough to give up male genital cutting here.

Why?

Its unnecessary and anti-individualistic.

 

[Gracie]

Sick custom.

 

[Kat]

Not to mention extremely painful, and a lifetime of misery these poor girls and women have.

 

[Gracie]

Cuz women aren't supposed to feel pleasure, dontchaknow. They are only to be the vessel to fuck.

 

[Kat]

Exactly. grr.

 

[waltky]

Singapore still practices FGM...

Modern Singapore Practices Ancient Ritual of Female Genital Mutilation
October 12, 2016 — Medical clinics in Singapore are carrying out female genital cutting on babies, according to people with first-hand knowledge, despite growing global condemnation of the practice, which world leaders have pledged to eradicate.

The ancient ritual, more commonly associated with rural communities in a swath of African countries, is observed by most Muslim Malays in Singapore where it is legal but largely hidden, said Filzah Sumartono of women’s rights group AWARE. Worldwide, more than 200 million girls and women are believed to have undergone female genital cutting or mutilation (FGM), according to United Nations figures. But its existence in Singapore, a wealthy island state that prides itself on being a modern, cosmopolitan city with high levels of education, shows the challenge of tackling a practice rooted in culture, tradition and a desire to belong.

Masai girl holds protest sign during anti-Female Genital Mutilation run in Kilgoris, Kenya. The practice is found in Singapore, and according to the U.N. in 30 other countries as well, almost all in Africa. Indonesia is the only Asian country the U.N. cites.​

Sumartono said it was too early to press for a ban in Singapore although many countries have outlawed the practice. She said they first needed to create more awareness and debate around the practice and galvanize public support for ending it. “In my own circle of friends who are Malay and Muslim, 100 percent have been cut,” said Sumartono, who was cut herself at 1 month old. “Whenever I bring up the subject with non-Malay they’re shocked and can’t believe it happens in Singapore,” she said. The health ministry did not comment despite several requests.

Sumartono said FGM, known locally as sunat perempuan, was usually done before the age of 2 and may involve cutting the tip of the clitoris or making a small nick. “Even within the community we don’t discuss this much,” she told Reuters by phone from Singapore. “If a male baby gets circumcised there is this big celebration and prayer ritual, but if it is a female baby it’s quite quiet. It’s usually only the mother or grandmother making the decision. Sometimes the father doesn’t even know.”

А traditional surgeon is seen holding razor blades used to carry out female circumcision, also known as female genital mutilation.​

She said cutting was usually done by medical professionals. “We know five or six clinics offer the procedure, at around 20-35 Singapore dollars ($15-$26),” she added. “There's no legislation. It’s done openly. You can just call up to make an appointment.”

Religion and culture

 

[xyz]

It's a horrible practice, and it's practiced by Christians too:

Religious views on female genital mutilation - Wikipedia

There are currently campaigns against it in certain parts of Africa.

 

[Kat]

It's a horrible practice, and it's practiced by Christians too:

Religious views on female genital mutilation - Wikipedia

There are currently campaigns against it in certain parts of Africa.

From your link...

The Christian Bible (New Testament) does not mention female circumcision (i.e. removal of clitoral hood ) or female genital mutilation (i.e. clitoridectomy and infibulation).[88][89]

Christian authorities unanimously agree that FGM (i.e. clitoridectomy and infibulation) has no foundation in the religious texts of Christianity.[90]

Some Christian women, in Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania, undergo a procedure of genital cutting; they wrongly believe it to be a religious requirement.[90]

In Africa, missionaries have tried to discourage FGM (i.e. clitoridectomy and infibulation). However, in some instances, in order to retain converts from other religions, they have either ignored or condoned the continuation of these practices. When in the 1930s European Christians tried to make opposition to FGM a condition of church membership and a test of loyalty, they provoked a far-reaching campaign in colonial Kenya. Mary Nyangweso, a Kenyan researcher who studies "the interplay of religion, culture, and gender",[91] states, "Christianity, it is important to stress, does not advocate the total eradication of the Nandi female initiation rite. Rather it advocates the need to eradicate the practice of female circumcision that involves clitoridectomy and excision because it is physically unhealthy and does not conform to Christian teaching. The initiation rite can continue to be practised and the actual circumcision can be replaced by some other symbolic acts not harmful to women's bodies. This can be derived from the culture itself or Scripture that now forms part of the Nandi way of life."[92]

Christians do not believe in or practice FGM.

 

[Dogmaphobe]

It's a horrible practice, and it's practiced by Christians too:

Religious views on female genital mutilation - Wikipedia

There are currently campaigns against it in certain parts of Africa.

From your link...

The Christian Bible (New Testament) does not mention female circumcision (i.e. removal of clitoral hood ) or female genital mutilation (i.e. clitoridectomy and infibulation).[88][89]

Christian authorities unanimously agree that FGM (i.e. clitoridectomy and infibulation) has no foundation in the religious texts of Christianity.[90]

Some Christian women, in Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania, undergo a procedure of genital cutting; they wrongly believe it to be a religious requirement.[90]

In Africa, missionaries have tried to discourage FGM (i.e. clitoridectomy and infibulation). However, in some instances, in order to retain converts from other religions, they have either ignored or condoned the continuation of these practices. When in the 1930s European Christians tried to make opposition to FGM a condition of church membership and a test of loyalty, they provoked a far-reaching campaign in colonial Kenya. Mary Nyangweso, a Kenyan researcher who studies "the interplay of religion, culture, and gender",[91] states, "Christianity, it is important to stress, does not advocate the total eradication of the Nandi female initiation rite. Rather it advocates the need to eradicate the practice of female circumcision that involves clitoridectomy and excision because it is physically unhealthy and does not conform to Christian teaching. The initiation rite can continue to be practised and the actual circumcision can be replaced by some other symbolic acts not harmful to women's bodies. This can be derived from the culture itself or Scripture that now forms part of the Nandi way of life."[92]

Christians do not believe in or practice FGM.

It's just the usual mindless apologia from illiberal leftists.

The rule book they follow calls for them to bring up Christianity every time the subject is Islam and pretend there is no difference. Having mastered this particular conditioned response, they are probably ready for fetch or sitting up and shaking paws.

 

[Coyote]

It's a horrible practice, and it's practiced by Christians too:

Religious views on female genital mutilation - Wikipedia

There are currently campaigns against it in certain parts of Africa.

From your link...

The Christian Bible (New Testament) does not mention female circumcision (i.e. removal of clitoral hood ) or female genital mutilation (i.e. clitoridectomy and infibulation).[88][89]

Christian authorities unanimously agree that FGM (i.e. clitoridectomy and infibulation) has no foundation in the religious texts of Christianity.[90]

Some Christian women, in Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania, undergo a procedure of genital cutting; they wrongly believe it to be a religious requirement.[90]

In Africa, missionaries have tried to discourage FGM (i.e. clitoridectomy and infibulation). However, in some instances, in order to retain converts from other religions, they have either ignored or condoned the continuation of these practices. When in the 1930s European Christians tried to make opposition to FGM a condition of church membership and a test of loyalty, they provoked a far-reaching campaign in colonial Kenya. Mary Nyangweso, a Kenyan researcher who studies "the interplay of religion, culture, and gender",[91] states, "Christianity, it is important to stress, does not advocate the total eradication of the Nandi female initiation rite. Rather it advocates the need to eradicate the practice of female circumcision that involves clitoridectomy and excision because it is physically unhealthy and does not conform to Christian teaching. The initiation rite can continue to be practised and the actual circumcision can be replaced by some other symbolic acts not harmful to women's bodies. This can be derived from the culture itself or Scripture that now forms part of the Nandi way of life."[92]

Christians do not believe in or practice FGM.

It's a legacy from pre-Islamic cultures, primarily in parts of Africa where it is strongest, and the cultural pressure is so strong it's hard to eradicate. It needs to be wiped out like Suti was. Even in Islam it's controversal.

 

[anotherlife]

Female genital mutilation should be a crime, as it is a meaningless torture, but ... it is only evaluated from the masculine point of view. From the feminine point of view, sexual pleasure is not that important by far. It is men, not women, who can't do without sexual gratification on the genitals. So this entire thing is just a projection. With that said though, girls still shouldn't be cut.

 

[Coyote]

Female genital mutilation should be a crime, as it is a meaningless torture, but ... it is only evaluated from the masculine point of view. From the feminine point of view, sexual pleasure is not that important by far. It is men, not women, who can't do without sexual gratification on the genitals. So this entire thing is just a projection. With that said though, girls still shouldn't be cut.

The irony is - quite often it's the WOMEN who insist their daughters be cut with the view that they would be less desirable or marriageable otherwise. In order to end it, you have to persuade ENOUGH people to want to stop it in those areas

 

[Onyx]

I am fine with female genital mutilation.

I believe the reason why FGM is so hotly debated and circumcision is not, is due to the stigmatizing nature of the the name, "Female genital mutilation."

And yes, we have all heard the stories of barbaric FGM practices, but the same stories were no doubt once told about circumcision, or in other words, "Male genital mutilation." (MGM for short)

 

[Onyx]

It is great that some women in these countries have the option to take away one of their means of sexual pleasure.

If I had a safe way to remove my source of physical pleasure, without severing my excretory and reproductive functions, I would probably pursue it.

 

[anotherlife]

Female genital mutilation should be a crime, as it is a meaningless torture, but ... it is only evaluated from the masculine point of view. From the feminine point of view, sexual pleasure is not that important by far. It is men, not women, who can't do without sexual gratification on the genitals. So this entire thing is just a projection. With that said though, girls still shouldn't be cut.

The irony is - quite often it's the WOMEN who insist their daughters be cut with the view that they would be less desirable or marriageable otherwise. In order to end it, you have to persuade ENOUGH people to want to stop it in those areas

Ethiopia is the worst, they cut off the entire funny, and nothing is left, looks like a plastic Barbie doll with nothing between her legs.

It is true though that it eliminates the hype centric female behavior generally speaking, which may be important because females control the sex life of the species. It is logical, that in those free for all societies, family units are the only way for economic survival, and family units can't form or stay stable without the female genital removal.