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Eritrea bans female genital mutilation
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Here's some good news from the other side of the planet. Eritrea, a little country on the right-hand side of the African continent (with great, yummy food, by the way) has banned female genital mutilation (sometimes called "female circumcision"). This painful, dangerous tradition serves no medical purpose and instead can lead to a lifetime of painful urination and intercourse, difficulty in giving birth, and even death.Basically, as I understand it, the idea is to whack off parts of a girl's naughty bits, including (but not limited to) the clitoris. This is often done by unskilled practitioners with crude instruments. According to a 2002 survey done by the government of Eritrea, 62 percent of women in that country had been subjected to FGM before they were even a year old and less than one in a hundred had been worked on by trained health professionals.
"FGM is a deep-rooted culture and it needs a persistent continuous effort (to halt it)," said Luul Ghebreab, president of National Union of Eritrean Women. "We do not believe [this ban] will automatically eradicate circumcision, but surely it will play a role." Hopefully, the ban, which specifies both monetary penalties and imprisonment for anyone who "requests, incites or promotes female circumcision," will make a significant contribution to eradicating this practice.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
4-10-2007 @ 5:33PM
mikkhi said...What an ignorant description of a mutilation ! It is not the equivalent of circumcism, it is the equivalent of cutting off the glans. In addition, the labia are frequently sewn together. It is a horrendous primitive denial of any possible enjoyment of sexual relations. Unfortunatly, a law often does not prevent its practice which is perpetuated by cultural tradition. EDUCATION is the answer along with enforcement of law.
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4-10-2007 @ 6:24PM
Uly said...There are many variations of female circumcision. Some of them really *are* circumcision - the foreskin of the clitoris is removed, that's it. Others, as Mikkhi stated, are more intensive.
Frankly, I believe that *any* non-medical, unchangeable alteration of somebody's body without their consent is wrong, and mutilation, so I don't have to quibble over the details.
That said, this law is only a good law if the money and education are there to enforce it. If they're not, I'd honestly rather see a modification that it could only be done in hospitals with anesthesia than that it can't be done at all - because the more it's driven underground, the more dangerous the practice is. Force it to stay in sanctioned areas, and you can begin to cut down (sorry) on the numbers, you can begin to educate those coming in for it, you can begin to reduce the amount of mutilation occuring, you can begin to end it. And meanwhile, girls and young women are at least not dying or getting sick.
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4-11-2007 @ 11:17AM
Laura said...I think male genital mutilation should be banned as well. Think of all the boys getting their foreskins removed without their consent!
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4-11-2007 @ 12:41PM
Jessica said...We're not discussing male genital issues, Laura.
I think this is a wonderful step in the right direction....now, if they can just figure out a way to enforce it. I would agree with pp, who stated that education will be key.
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