Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)- a threat to female sexuality

Why is female genital mutilation still a practice among us today? Borrowing the parlance of a renowned rapper, I am forced to ask, how are we still slaves in 2018? Slaves of ourselves and slaves of some of our utterly ridiculous cultural beliefs?

For the privileged mind, female genital mutilation might not register quickly as a disaster that needs to be averted because the knowledge of it is not widely pronounced in this circle. However, the lack of our knowledge of one thing does not rule it out and make it nonexistent among the others which is why I think we should all learn about this monstrous atrocity that plagues the fellow woman, whether privileged or not.

To briefly describe it in simple terms, female genital mutilation or female circumcision as it is sometimes referred to, is the process of cutting/scraping off the female genital parts with a knife or another equally sharp object. It is usually done in some tribes to young females of usually less than 16 years of age as an act of enforcing chastity on them in order to prevent them from feeling any iota of sexual sensation which sounds like nothing but plain bastardized patriarchy to me because how in God’s name does one rob a woman off her own naturally given sexuality just because? How does one sleep at night knowing the havoc one has wrecked into a young life?

This process is often carried out under no form of medical supervision because it usually involves about three other women where one does the cutting while the other two holds down the person that is being mutilated, usually against their own will, because tradition simply says so. The victims are never administered anesthesia to numb the horrible pain nor provided with disinfectants to prevent infection that usually ensues after. They are not at all equipped with anything to save them from the peril of this indiscriminate act.

The cutting is done such that all of the part of the girl’s genital is removed and only a tiny hole is left to remain for the passage of urine, blood; during menstruation and for pleasure-less sexual intercourse.

Half of the time, this process results to infections, tetanus and even the death of the young woman because of the severe pain caused during this female genital mutilation. If and when they don’t die, they unarguably remain scarred for life by this excruciating experience.

Now, what are we going to do to save these girls from this unlawful act that is female genital mutilation?

This act has been reported a lot of times by people that understands the gravity of this problem and even the United Nations has signed off several treaties to abolish it but sadly, it still prevails today in our smallest communities and among our smallest tribes. Perhaps, they do not still fully grasp the endangerment of young girls that female genital mutilation causes and they do not understand that it is not a right thing to do to young girls, to anybody.

I believe these rules were created in a time before humanity was embraced by people that were still trying to “evolve”, for the lack of a less offensive word. I am a strong advocate of the belief that any tribal law or tradition that threatens humanity (most of the time, women) should be abolished regardless of the sacredness/religious inclination of such a law. There should be no second guessing, it should be stopped at all cost and by all known means.

Please, spread the word.

I wish we weren’t fighting all the time to protect women’s rights, to protect women’s health. – Hillary Clinton.