This paper will be focused on female genital mutilation and the discussion on whether it is a cultural or religious practice. It will look at what female genital mutilation or female circumcision is and how it is performed, alongside a delve into the consequences it can have, with a deeper look into the cultural and religious aspects and meanings behind why it is practiced, where it originates from and if it is still relevant in a post modern society, before finally focusing on whether female genital mutilation is a cultural or religious practice.
Female Genital Mutilation is a procedure involving partial or total removal of the female sexual genitalia, or causing injury to the female genital organs (Organisation, 2007). It can happen to a female from age 0 up to age 15. Female genital mutilation can be practiced in a multitude of different ways, all categorized into types; type 1 is also known as clitoridectomy, and consists of partial or total removal of the clitoris. Type 2 is known as excision, where the clitoris and labia minora are partially or totally removed, with or without the excision of the labia majora. Type 3 is the most severe form, known as infibulation. Type 3 consists of narrowing the vaginal opening by creating a seal through cutting and repositioning the labia minora and the labia majora, with or without the removal of the clitoris. The seal is not fully covering, as a gap is left for urinal and menstruation purposes, and it should only be broken or opened through either penetrative sex or surgery. Type 4 is the final type of female genital mutilation and consists of all other types of damage to the genitalia for non-medicinal purposes such as cutting, pricking, piercing, incising and scraping. (Organisation, 2007) It is thought by many that female genital mutilation was originally practised on female slaves to prevent sexual intercourse and avoid pregnancy. Female genital mutilation is performed by an elder woman, who has undergone the practise themselves and it can also be incredibly unsanitary due to the tools that are used to perform this procedure (Andro, 2016).
The consequences of female genital mutilation are incredibly damaging to the person who has it performed on them. The effects are not only immediate but also can have long term damage too. The immediate consequences of female genital mutilation include severe pain and bleeding, which can ultimately lead to haemorrhaging, difficulty passing urine, infection and sometimes, death. It is known that almost all women who have undergone the procedure experience pain and bleeding, and it can also cause psychological damage as the girl is held down during the experience. There is research which suggests that female genital mutilation can lead to septicaemia due to the tools used to carry out the procedure being unclean and sanitary. There is a greater risk of haemorrhaging and death with infibulations, but can also happen as a side effect of any type of female genital mutilation. (Organisation, 2007)
The long term effects of female genital mutilation are chronic pain, development of cysts, abscesses and ulcers in the pelvic region, problems with the reproductive system, and post traumatic stress disorder. It also causes problems during child birth as the scar tissue may tear or the opening may need to be cut to allow for it to stretch so they are able to birth the child more easily, but this may also lead to the mother haemorrhaging which could then cause for the new-born baby and the mother to go into distress (Organisation, 2007). Due to the effects of female genital mutilation it is common for females to lose their sexual libido and to try and refrain from having penetrative sex as it causes them too much pain and they receive very little or no sexual stimulation from this.
The practise of female genital mutilation is thought to have originated in the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula, and is thought to date back at least 2000 years and can be traced back to Ancient Egypt. The reason for this thought is that when looking at the bodies of Ancient Egyptian mummies, there are marks of excision and infibulation. It is now known that Female Genital Mutilation is practised on 28 different African countries, and has also been documented in both central and south America, and also the UK. It is known that female genital mutilation has been performed in the western world, by the Early Romans via use of ‘Chastity Belts’; a form of mechanical infibulation. It is also said that female genital mutilation was used in the western world as a way of eradicating female masturbation as it would aid them in finding a way to restrain their sexual feelings. This type was used mainly in Europe (Andro, 2016). A lot of people believe that it began and evolved from the earliest communities due to people wanting to have power over the females’ sexual organs. For example, the Romans performed an act of putting gold rings through a woman’s labia to stop them from becoming pregnant, as they believed that penetrative sex would be painful with these rings in place. (FGM, 2015)
Culturally, Female Genital Mutilation is supported by traditional beliefs and values that a woman should uphold in order for her to be seen as pure and ready to be taken as a wife. It is viewed as a rite of passage to womanhood. In some African communities it is believed that a daughter would not be taken as a wife unless they were circumcised. (FGM, 2015). Many intellectuals who have researched into female genital mutilation will say that it is practised in communities all over the world, and it cannot be traced down and pinned onto one specific religion. It is done as more of a cultural ideology which has been passed down through thousands of generations and it is done as part of a patriarchal practise for men. The idea of a male patriarchy sets a precedent that women are the lesser valued sex and that in order to prove themselves as being ‘worthy’ of marriage, they should be cut and maimed in a way to make them more sexually appeasing for a man. Therefore, the practise of female genital mutilation in most African countries is done for this reason. There is also a view within the African cultures that a girl cannot move forward into adulthood without having this procedure, meaning it is viewed as a rite of passage. A lot of African mothers hold this view and will force their child to go through with the act as they believe it will bring them luck and a wealthy husband, when she marries (Unknown, 2015).
Around the world, female genital mutilation is performed in communities as a social norm, it is something that has become so normal within their culture that when a female reaches a certain age, they undergo this procedure. It is also done as a means of acceptance by the community, and many girls who have not had the procedure will often choose to have it, as they fear being rejected by their peers and the community they live in. It is believed in many cultures that female genital mutilation will reduce a woman’s sexual libido and that is used as a reason for it to be performed so a woman will be pure when she marries, and will be a virgin until she has intercourse with her husband, which is seen as honourable for a female. In most of the places where female genital mutilation is carried out, it is considered as being a cultural aspect of that place, and that is then used as a reason for continuation of this procedure. (WHO, 2016).
However, a lot of people claim that female genital mutilation is a religious practise, that is performed in several different religions. This claim could either link all religions together or it could identify another important factor. It is known that in the Middle East and in Africa, both Muslims and Christians practise female genital mutilation. Both of these religions are under the umbrella term of the ‘Abrahamic religions’, which could identify a link between them. It is thought that female genital mutilation is potentially religious because of the wide range of religions it is known to be practised in. it is known that religious leaders will take a standpoint in the argument of female genital mutilation, each one of them varying from promoting it, to contributing to its elimination. (WHO, 2016).
In Muslim countries where female genital mutilation is practised, it is justified by something Prophet Muhammad said “Do not cut too severely as it is better for a woman and more desirable for a husband”. (Robinson, 2015). Although, as much as this statement is giving ‘permission’ for female genital mutilation to happen, it does not state that it is enforced and is mandatory to happen in the religion, there are passages in the Qur’an which oppose the idea of female genital mutilation, such as the idea of the clitoris being created for the sole purpose of receiving and creating pleasure for a woman, and it does not state anywhere that it should be damaged, or made smaller anywhere. (Robinson, 2015). To counteract this, it is known that in the Islamic society, a woman should still be a virgin and her hymen should not be broken until she is married as a sign of loyalty and purity and obedience to her religion and to her husband and family. This is often used as a way of justifying female genital mutilation and a way to link it to the religion. (Robinson, 2015)
Female genital mutilation is commonly seen throughout Christianity, as well as Islam, as a way of proving that the females are just as worthy as the males in proving their covenant to god. However, female genital mutilation is not solely linked to any religion, it is just a characteristic of many different religions. It is seen in Islam, Christianity, Judaism and many native religions too (Unknown, Q&A on Female Genital Mutilation, 2010).
This leads to the question, is female genital mutilation still relevant in a post-modern society? Is it still something that is required culturally, but maybe not religiously. It seems clear that the post-modern world is becoming more aware now of what female genital mutilation is and how it is performed, but nobody is addressing the important issues as to finding out deeply why it is done. Many people will say that in terms of a culture continuing to exist they are required to keep practising their traditions as they always have done, and with female genital mutilation being a founding factor in many cultures, it will therefore continue, however it is not addressing the safety of the girls that it is being performed on, and the after effects are not being thought of.
It is now illegal to perform female genital mutilation in the United Kingdom and has been since 2003, however it is still prevalent. It is happening more secretly now than it used to, as people are having to travel away for it to happen. This usually happens during the summer holidays to allow for it to heal before returning home. This is a clear indicator that female genital mutilation is not a cultural ideology and it is evident that it is being practised somewhat religiously, as it is not part of the culture in the United Kingdom (gov.uk, 2016). It is clear from this, that female genital mutilation is not relevant in this society, as it is classed as child-abuse and is illegal to be performed in the United Kingdom. However, it is potentially still relevant in African countries as their societies and cultures have not progressed as much as others. This is damaging as it means girls between the ages of 0-15 are still at risk of having this procedure performed on them.
In comparison, it is easy to say that female genital mutilation is both cultural and religious, as it is performed in certain societies for cultural reasons such as tradition that has been passed down for centuries, but also religious as it is common for girls to be seen as unclean and dirty if they are not virgins upon marriage, and that then makes them less likely to be taken as a wife, so many people of faith would force their daughters to have this procedure so that they are more likely to be taken as a wife so they can bring wealth to their families. This is also common in many African cultures.
To conclude, female genital mutilation is forced upon young girls, many of whom are not given a choice. It can happen as young as birth and it is likely to have long term side effects such as post-traumatic stress disorder, and problems with menstruation and child birth. The immediate side effects can lead to death if the procedure goes wrong, the tools used are not clean and sanitary, as it can lead to infection and septicaemia, or the girl haemorrhages severely. It is evident that there is not a lot of evidence linking female genital mutilation to a religious practise, which allows the belief that it is a cultural practise and is performed under the precipice of traditions which have been carried out for centuries. It is right to say that from the evidence gathered in this paper, that female genital mutilation is a cultural practise, rather than a religious one, although the two can be easily confused as it is seen from a more of a religious perspective in terms of it being performed within Islam.
Bibliography
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FGM, N. (2015). Historical and Cultural. Retrieved January 2, 2017, from fgmnationalgroup: http://www.fgmnationalgroup.org/historical_and_cultural.htm
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Unknown. (2015). Religion or Culture? Retrieved January 2, 2017, from stopfgmmideast: http://www.stopfgmmideast.org/background/islam-or-culture/
WHO. (2016). Female Genital Mutilation. Retrieved January 2, 2017, from World Health Organisation: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs241/en/
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