* Female circumcision, also called female genital mutilation is a collective name given to a series of traditional surgical operations performed on girls and women primarily in 28 African countries and among some minorities in Asia. It is an ancient custom, which is estimated to affect 130 million girls and women, with a rate increase of about 2 million new cases each year. Recently the practice has also begun to surface within immigrant communities in Europe, Australia, Canada and the United States.
* This custom is deeply entrenched in women's and men's consciousness and is strongly associated with setting a standard for appropriate womanhood, promoting gender hierarchy, and regulating female sexuality.
*Contrary to popular belief, Female Genital Mutilation is NOT a religious practice or requirement, it is perpetuated on the bases of custom and tradition. It is practiced by Muslims, Christians, some animists and has been reported to occur among Ethiopian Jews.
* In many communities the rite of passage ceremony has lost its educational significance, yet the practice of female genital mutilation continues.
TYPES OF FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION
* Type I. Clitoridectomy. - Partial or total removal of the clitoris.
* Type II. Excision - Both the clitoris and the inner lips are cut off. The vagina is not covered.
*Type III. Infibulation - The clitoris is removed, partial or total cutting of the labia minora and incisions are made in the labia majora. The surface is either stitched together or kept in contact by tying the legs together until it heals, covering the urethra and most of the vaginal opening.
*Type IV. A variety of rarer forms of cutting and manipulation of the external genitals.
CULTURAL JUSTIFICATION OF THE PRACTICE
The following are some of the reasons given to justify this practice; they vary from community to community:
* It is an essential part of culture that must be preserved.
* Female genitals are unclean and will grow if not cut.
* It is an initiation into womanhood and enhances the husband's sexual pleasure.
* FGM (female genital mutilation) improves fertility and prevents infant and maternal mortality.
* It is a religious obligation.
* FGM prevents promiscuity.
Female Genital Mutilation : an introduction
Female Genital Mutilation Network (lots of good links)
Feminist Majority's News Stories on Female Genital Mutilation
Women's Health and Development - Female Genital Mutilation
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