As I studied global health, more information was researched on the violent act of female genital mutilation. It is unfortunate more females are punished for having feminine parts they were born with. Frowned upon if specific parts remain, females are not desirable to marry and are considered a disgrace by their families; therefore, many villages still practice female genital mutilation or female genital cutting. I would describe it more so as female genital gutting. There is nothing humane about the treatment so many helpless and frightened girls who have been known to be gutted at ages as young as two weeks of age to 16 years of age (Skolnik, 2008).
More often than not, the girls are tricked into believing there is a surprise awaiting them. Upon being lured into an unsanitary area of the village or on the ground, they are forced to be extremely still and not to make a sound while either broken glass, an unsanitary knife or razor is used to remove any exterior feminine parts to her vagina to include the clitoris, labia major and minor and in some cases she is sewn with needles and thread to prevent her from micturating properly (Skolnik, 2008). After this horrible event, the female may cry uncontrollably, bleed excessively, become infected, go into shock, or hemorrhage to death (Skolnik, 2008). This is how she honors her family!
I have put together a link created by myself to express the horrors of female genital mutilation.
This short clip was prepared while taking global health at the Texas Woman's University (TWU).
Skolnik, R. (2008). Women's health. In R. Riegelman. Essentials of global health.
(pp. 147-166). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.
Female genital mutilation makes me sick to my stomach. I cannot imagine, nor do I want to, the pain these women go through. It is absolute horrible. I do not understand this reasoning behind it either. If it is shameful to be a woman, how do they think they can reproduce? I cannot believe that in the 21st century women are still treated this way. How can this be an accepted practice? The more we are educated, the more we are able to inform the correct people and help put a stop to this. It is absolutely heart breaking.
ReplyDeleteKerri