From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Sun Mar 22 2009 - 07:06:09 EST
Will We Ever See the End of Female Genital Mutilation?
March 21, 2009 by Carol Roach Carol Roach
The United Nations declared February 6 of each year to be the day set
aside to protest against the practice of female genital mutilation. This
practice has gone on for centuries and is preformed in various parts the
world but we mostly know it as an African cultural practice.
Female genital mutilation involves the partial or total removal of the
female genitalia. The practice is forbidden in the West because of the
obvious mutilation and the risk factors involved. Besides medical
reasons, female genital cutting becomes an ethical issue. The practice
of female circumcision is performed on a child who has no say over what
happens to her body. Her parents must give their consent but the child
is often too young to even know what is happening to her.
I can only imagine why any woman would agree to this procedure or have
their girls go through it. Are the children afraid or do the willingly
go along with what their parents decide for them? After all aren't
parents supposed to have the best interest of their little girls at
heart?
The practice of female genital mutilation carries many names, female
genital mutilation, female genital cutting and female circumcision, but
the former two are the preferred terms by the International Associations
that oppose this archaic and horrendous practice.
It is good to know that not all African Countries still practice female
genital mutilation. Ninety percent of the women in the small and
impoverished East African Nation of Eritrea are circumcised. However the
women are now against it, realizing the dangers involved in this
unnecessary procedure.
The National Union of Eritrean Women has helped to convince the
government to ban this life threatening procedure and treat women's
bodies with the respect they deserve.
The government of Eritrea proclaimed in 2007 that, "Female circumcision
is a procedure that seriously endangers the health of women, causes them
considerable pain and suffering besides threatening their lives," Anyone
now engaged in this practice of female circumcision in Eritrea will be
fined and or jailed.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1582019/will_we_ever_see_the_en
d_of_female.html
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