Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Fighting genital mutilation
4 comments
Yes! The Egyptian Parliament has passed new restrictions on female genital mutilation. One law can impose a maximum of 2 years and $1,000 fine for those who engage in genital mutilation. The practice has already been banned in Egypt, but it still remains a huge problem, with about 70% of Egyptian women having undergone circumcision.
Of course, the ban has opponents. Some still believe that female circumcision is a crucial part of Islam to "tame" a woman's sexual desire. Many parents opt to have their daughters literally sewn shut so that they cannot have sex until their wedding day, when the stitches across their vagina are ripped open. Some parents also have their daughters' clitorises cut to make them stay at home longer, because they believe that with sexual desire comes also the desire to leave home. It's a sick practice that degrades and dehumanizes women, and teaches them that they have no right to a sex drive.
Read the full article here, and/or find out more about genital cutting here.
Of course, the ban has opponents. Some still believe that female circumcision is a crucial part of Islam to "tame" a woman's sexual desire. Many parents opt to have their daughters literally sewn shut so that they cannot have sex until their wedding day, when the stitches across their vagina are ripped open. Some parents also have their daughters' clitorises cut to make them stay at home longer, because they believe that with sexual desire comes also the desire to leave home. It's a sick practice that degrades and dehumanizes women, and teaches them that they have no right to a sex drive.
Read the full article here, and/or find out more about genital cutting here.
Posts
June 10, 2008 at 10:43 PM
Wow, I had no idea it was an issue in Egypt. I knew it was a problem throughout the rest of Africa but not there!
That practice is an extreme example of what goes on every day in every society - the control of the rights of women through the control of women's bodies and women's sexualities.
June 11, 2008 at 10:33 AM
Unfortunately, it is an issue in Egypt. Egypt has progressed a little further than other countries in the sense that the Parliament has passed laws to try to regulate it, but obviously the laws aren't doing enough if the majority of the female population is still being circumcised.
Yep, you're absolutely right. It's a very extreme form of exerting control over women. In America, we obviously have our own ways of controlling women, through strict beauty standards and discrimination in the workplace and whatnot, but to actually sew a woman's vagina shut is appalling. It makes me grateful that I grew up in a country that generally doesn't practice that.
June 11, 2008 at 12:14 PM
Genital mutilation is such a disturbing practice. I'd like to meet the person who came up with this novel idea...
June 13, 2008 at 2:12 AM
hey my names alyssa and i just found ur blog through facebook...if you want more information about female genital mutilation i did an entire social action project this spring for my womens class at douglass college.
loving your blog so far. keep on keeping on girl!
p.s. saw how you were maybe going to expand it to more authors....id love to join. im studying science at school so if you would like that perspective to your page let me know