Female Genital Mutilation adds no value to girls and women’s lives.
- Control over
women’s sexuality: Virginity is a pre-requisite for marriage and
is equated to female honour in a lot of communities. FGM, in particular infibulations,
is defended in this context as it is assumed to reduce a woman’s sexual
desire and lessen temptations to have extramarital sex thereby preserving
a girl’s virginity.
- Hygiene:
There is a belief that female genitalia are unsightly and dirty. In some
FGM-practicing societies, unmutilated women are regarded as unclean and
are not allowed to handle food and water.
- Gender based
factors: FGM is often deemed necessary in order for a girl to be
considered a complete woman, and the practice marks the divergence of the
sexes in terms of their future roles in life and marriage. The removal of
the clitoris and labia — viewed by some as the “male parts” of a woman’s
body — is thought to enhance the girl’s femininity, often synonymous with
docility and obedience. It is possible that the trauma of mutilation may
have this effect on a girl’s personality. If mutilation is part of an
initiation rite, then it is accompanied by explicit teaching about the
woman’s role in her society.
- Cultural identity:
In certain communities, where mutilation is carried out as part of the
initiation into adulthood, FGM defines who belongs to the community. In
such communities, a girl cannot be considered an adult in a FGM-practicing
society unless she has undergone FGM.
- Religion: FGM predates Islam and is not practiced by the majority of Muslims, but it has acquired a religious dimension. Where it is practiced by Muslims, religion is frequently cited as a reason. Many of those who oppose mutilation deny that there is any link between the practice and religion, but Islamic leaders are not unanimous on the subject. Although predominant among Muslims, FGM also occurs among Christians, animists and Jews.
Say No to Female Genital Mutilation.
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