Perversion and Perpetration in Female Genital Mutilation Law: The Unmaking of Women as Bearers of Law

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 273-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maree Pardy ◽  
Juliet Rogers ◽  
Nan Seuffert
Keyword(s):  
Female Genital Mutilation ◽  
New South ◽  
Female Genital Cutting ◽  
Demonic Possession ◽  
Genital Mutilation ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Genital Cutting ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Female Genital

Female genital cutting (FGC) or, more controversially, female genital mutilation, has motivated the implementation of legislation in many English-speaking countries, the product of emotive images and arguments that obscure the realities of the practices of FGC and the complexity of the role of the practitioner. In Australia, state and territory legislation was followed, in 2015, with a conviction in New South Wales highlighting the problem with laws that speak to fantasies of ‘mutilation’. This article analyses the positioning of Islamic women as victims of their culture, represented as performing their roles as vehicles for demonic possession, unable to authorize agency or law. Through a perverse framing of ‘mutilation’, and in the case through the interpretation of the term ‘mutilation’, practices of FGC as law performed by women are obscured, avoiding the challenge of a real multiculturalism that recognises lawful practices of migrant cultures in democratic countries.

scholarly journals Learning from “Female Genital Mutilation”: Lessons from 30 Years of Academic Discourse

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Wade
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Difference ◽  
Female Genital Mutilation ◽  
Postcolonial Theory ◽  
Female Genital Cutting ◽  
Genital Mutilation ◽  
Discursive Strategies ◽  
Academic Scholarship ◽  
Genital Cutting ◽  
Female Genital

At the intersection of feminism and postcolonial theory is an acrimonious debate over female genital cutting (FGC). I subject this debate to an analysis in order to separate productive from destructive discursive strategies. I find that both FGC and the literature about the practice are frequently mischaracterized in consequential ways. Especially prior to the mid-1990s, scholars frame FGC as an example of either cultural inferiority or cultural difference. In the 1990s, postcolonial scholars contest the framing of FGC as a measure of cultural inferiority. However, they often argue that Western feminist engagement with FGCs, writ large, is ‘imperialist.’ I contend that both accusations of African ‘barbarism’ and of Western feminist ‘imperialism’ are empirically false and inflammatory. Furthermore, reifying ‘African’ and ‘Western’ perspectives erases African opposition to FGC and Western feminist acknowledgement of transnational power asymmetry. I conclude with a discussion of the role of outrage in academic scholarship.

scholarly journals Defining Gendered Oppression in U.S. Newspapers: The Strategic Value of “Female Genital Mutilation”

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Wade
Keyword(s):  
Female Genital Mutilation ◽  
Female Genital Cutting ◽  
The West ◽  
Genital Mutilation ◽  
Strategic Value ◽  
Traditional Societies ◽  
Genital Cutting ◽  
Newspaper Text ◽  
Feminist Movements ◽  
Female Genital

According to the logic of the gendered modernity/tradition binary, women in traditional societies are oppressed and women in modern societies liberated. While the binary valorizes modern women, it potentially erases gendered oppression in the West and undermines feminist movements on behalf of Western women. Using U.S. newspaper text, I ask whether female genital cutting (FGC) is used to define women in modern societies as liberated. I find that speakers use FGC to both uphold and challenge the gendered modernity/tradition binary. Speakers use FGC to denigrate non-Western cultures and trivialize the oppressions that U.S. women typically encounter, but also to make feminist arguments on behalf of women everywhere. I argue that in addition to examining how culturally imperialist logics are reproduced, theorists interested in feminist postcolonialism should turn to the distribution of such logics, emphasizing the who, where, when, and how of reinscription of and resistance to such narratives.

scholarly journals The Politics of Acculturation: Female Genital Cutting and the Challenge of Building Multicultural Democracies

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Wade
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Model ◽  
Cultural Change ◽  
Cultural Adaptation ◽  
Female Genital Mutilation ◽  
Newspaper Coverage ◽  
Female Genital Cutting ◽  
Genital Mutilation ◽  
Primary Documents ◽  
Genital Cutting ◽  
Female Genital

Understanding how the idea of culture is mobilized in discursive contests is crucial for both theorizing and building multicultural democracies. To investigate this, I analyze a debate over whether we should relieve the “cultural need” for infibulation among immigrants by offering a “nick” in U.S. hospitals. Using interviews, newspaper coverage, and primary documents, I show that physicians and opponents of the procedure with contrasting models of culture disagreed on whether it represented cultural change. Opponents argued that the “nick” was fairly described as “female genital mutilation” and symbolically identical to more extensive cutting. Using a reified model, they imagined Somalis to be “culture-bound”; the adoption of a “nick” was simply a move from one genital cutting procedure to another. Unable to envision meaningful cultural adaptation, and presupposing the incompatibility of multiculturalism and feminism, they supported forced assimilation. Physicians, drawing on a dynamic model of culture, believed that adoption of the “nick” was meaningful cultural change, but overly idealized their ability to protect Somali girls from both Somali and U.S. patriarchy. Unduly confident, they failed to take oppression seriously, dismissing relevant constituencies and their concerns.

Prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation among reproductive age women in Ethiopia: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Atlaw ◽  
Kenbon Seyoum ◽  
Habtamu Gezahegn
Keyword(s):  
Publication Bias ◽  
Female Genital Mutilation ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Female Genital Cutting ◽  
Traditional Practice ◽  
Genital Mutilation ◽  
Pooled Prevalence ◽  
Genital Cutting ◽  
Female Genital

Abstract Background: - Female genital mutilation (FGM) is the most common harmful traditional practice. Which is characterized by partial or total removal of the female external genitalia for non-therapeutic reasons. Globally, FGM affects about 130 million women and girls. Female Genital cutting (FGC) is a harmful traditional practice which affects the physical and mental health of girls and women. Methods: - Review and meta-analysis was conducted using the guideline of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). Both published and unpublished articles were searched. Articles were searched from different databases like PubMed, Popline, AJOL, EMBASE and gray literature like Google scholar and Google. Articles were searched using terms like “ prevalence ”, “ magnitude”, “female genital cutting” “female genital mutilation”, and “female circumcision” . Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal-Checklist for Analytical Cross Sectional Studies were used to assess the quality of the included paper. Egger’s test and I 2 statistics were used to assess Publication bias and heterogeneity respectively. Result and discussion: - About thirteen studies with total participants of 7850 were included for systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of female genital mutilation among reproductive age women in Ethiopia was 87.5%: 95% CI (84.25, 90.78). ). I square test statistics showed high heterogeneity (I 2 =94.4, p=0.000) and Egger’s test was done to check for publication bias, but the test has revealed that there is no statistical significant publication bias (p-value=0.374). Conclusion: - The pooled prevalence of female genital mutilation is high in Ethiopia. Subgroup analysis does not revealed significant difference among different region found in the country.

scholarly journals Towards a solution concerning female genital mutilation? An approach from within according to Islamic legal opinions

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 216-236
Author(s):  
Jens Kutscher
Keyword(s):  
Female Genital Mutilation ◽  
Female Circumcision ◽  
Female Physician ◽  
Female Genital Cutting ◽  
Genital Mutilation ◽  
Western Asia ◽  
Legal Opinions ◽  
Genital Cutting ◽  
Ethiopian Jews ◽  
Female Genital

Female circumcision is a tradition that is widespread and not restricted to predominantly Muslim countries. It is prevalent among all religious groups in many parts of Africa and Western Asia, whether they are Coptic Christians, Ethiopian Jews, or Arab Muslims. Female genital cutting or—more to the point—female genital mutilation (FGM), generally referred to as circumcision, occurs in at least five different forms. Circumcision is essentially a powerful bodily sign of the human—male and female—covenant with God. In the Quran it is reaffirmed in sura al-Nahl and quoted as example in the fatwas endorsing circumcision. It seems to be true that men are hardly involved in the actual decision in favour of female genital cutting. A man should not interfere in the decision of women to be circumcised. It is practiced and transmitted among women and midwives. Only sometimes is a (male or female) physician involved. On the basis of Islamic normativity, mirrored in fatwas, this paper aims to examine a very ambivalent approach concerning female genital mutilation.

scholarly journals Highly Valued by Both Sexes: Activists, Anthr/apologists, and Female Genital Mutilation

1970 ◽  
pp. 52-61
Author(s):  
Tobe Levin
Keyword(s):  
New Brunswick ◽  
Female Genital Mutilation ◽  
Female Genital Cutting ◽  
Genital Mutilation ◽  
Global Context ◽  
Genital Cutting ◽  
Female Genital

Review of Hernlund, Ylva and Bettina Shell-Duncan, Eds. Transcultural Bodies. Female Genital Cutting in Global Context. New Brunswick: Rutgers UP, 2007.

scholarly journals Female Genital Cutting: A Persistent African Health Challenge

2020 ◽  
Vol I (1) ◽  
pp. 01-06
Author(s):  
Mohamed Nabih EL-Gharib
Keyword(s):  
Female Genital Mutilation ◽  
Female Circumcision ◽  
Female Genital Cutting ◽  
Genital Mutilation ◽  
Health Challenge ◽  
African Health ◽  
Historical Origin ◽  
Genital Cutting ◽  
Female Genital

Female genital mutilation or female circumcision is a worldwide problem, though it is universally prohibited. The definition, historical origin, indications and types of mutilations, technic of performance, and complication are discussed in this article.

scholarly journals Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Resulting in Genital Tract Obstruction and Sexual Dysfunction: A Case Report and Literature Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Anwar Sadat Seidu ◽  
Haruna Danamiji Osman ◽  
Kingsley Appiah Bimpong ◽  
Kwame Afriyie
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dysfunction ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Genital Tract ◽  
Female Genital Mutilation ◽  
External Genitalia ◽  
Female Genital Cutting ◽  
Genital Mutilation ◽  
Genital Cutting ◽  
Type 3 ◽  
Female Genital

Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) is the practice of cutting parts of the female external genitalia in fulfillment of sociocultural obligations and in some cases for nonmedical reasons. It is classified into 4 main types depending on the extent of cutting. Some forms of FGM/C are common in at least 29 countries globally, mainly in Africa. The overall prevalence of FGM/C in Ghana is approximately 4%. The motivation for this practice varies from community to community but includes the fulfillment of cultural values, uplifting the girl child, and, according to some reports, reducing sexual desire and promiscuity. The objective of this article is to illustrate how FGM/C resulted in sexual dysfunction in a young woman married for 2 years. We present a 19-year-old female who was subjected to female genital cutting in her formative years who presented with apareunia for 2 years in her marriage. We illustrated how FGM/C led to a genital tract obstruction with resultant sexual dysfunction. Examination revealed a Type 3 FGM/C (infibulation) with almost complete occlusion of the genital tract. She underwent a successful defibulation and resumed sexual activity with her husband within 6 weeks of the procedure.

scholarly journals Recommendation to Prohibit, Un-Islamic and Harmful Cultural Custom of Female Genital Mutilation

rahatulquloob ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 52-65
Author(s):  
Najia Almas ◽  
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Khan sangi ◽  
Prof. Dr. Rafiq Ahmed Memon
Keyword(s):  
Female Genital Mutilation ◽  
Female Circumcision ◽  
Complete Removal ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Female Genital Cutting ◽  
Genital Organ ◽  
Genital Mutilation ◽  
The World ◽  
Genital Cutting ◽  
Female Genital

Female genital mutilation and female genital cutting that undertakes partial or complete removal of female genital organ, is practiced in certain parts of the world in general and in African Arab countries particularly. This is not religious but cultural and Muslim, Christian and to some extent by Jew communities are involved in this custom of circumcising the girls and women prior to their marriages. On the other hand, female circumcision involves the removal of prepuce which should not be confused with FGM (female genital mutilation), for they are completely two different procedures. However, Keeping the circle of the discussion to Muslims, it is very important to mention that there is no Ayat/verse in Al-Quran which even refers to female circumcision, which is also called as Islamic Circumcision. Only weak hadiths are found to support the procedure. However, these hadiths compl-etely forbid FGM as well as Islamic Shariah scholars prohibit this procedure after in carefully conclusive analysis of the said hadiths to be performed on women. FGM dosn’t has any health benefits instead this is very harmful and leads such victims to many gynecological, psychological, emotional and mental complications.

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