Female circumssion in Africa Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Female circumssion in Africa - Assignment Example Female circumcision, female genital mutilation (FGM), and female genital cutting (FGC) all define the cultural practice of totally or partially removing the external female genitals or genitalia (Bacquet-Walsh, Jordan and Moneti par. 1). The World Health Organization (WHO) (par. 1) describes female genital mutilation (FGM) as all methods that entail the total or partial removal of the female external genitalia, or other form of injury to the female organs for reasons that are non-medical. The least form of FGC is the removal of the clitoris. The removal of the whole external genitalia is the most severe type of FGC; the vaginal opening of the victim is nearly closed. A small opening is left for menstrual blood and urine (Bacquet-Walsh, Jordan and Moneti par. 1). Althaus (130) states that female circumcision has been practiced for a long time in parts of Africa and it is considered as an element of rite passage in preparation for the young girls’ marriage and womanhood. The procedure is usually performed in the absence of an anesthetic and/or under septic environments by individuals (practitioners) with little or no knowledge of medicine or human anatomy. In other words, the practice is usually performed by traditional circumcisers who play a significant role in the community like attending childbirths. However, the trend is changing and it is being performed by health care providers (WHO par. 2). Medical professionals also perform the practice for a fee. Among the population, FGM/FGC can be carried out by male barbers, herbalists, a female relative, members of the secret society, and traditional health practitioners (United Nations Population Fund [UNFPA] par. 8). FGM or female circumcision is recognized globally as the violation of girls’ and women’s human rights. It expresses the deep-rooted inequality between the sexes and entails an extreme type of discrimination against the women. It is normally carried out on small girls and it is a