Research Paper On Female Circumcision

Words: 1239
Pages: 5

Debates around female circumcision date back to the XXth century with missionaries and colonial administrators who were clearly opposed to it. But these debates reached their peak between 1975 and 1985 with the UN decade for women health and empowerment when female circumcision became of global interest and got renamed « female genital cutting ». What was initially a « local practice » proper to specific traditional societies changed into « a human right violation » at a global scale. After that, we saw many controversies arise from this concern around — to quote only the best known examples — international human rights, western imperialism or cultural relativism etc… Different arguments are used to legitimize the opposition to female genital cutting but were criticized and ought to be nuanced. …show more content…
Indeed opposants consider female genital mutilation as an attempt to women’s dignity and body integrity. These opponents highlight the right of self-determination, freedom of choice and even sexual fulfillment. Indeed these girls are generally given no choice, they are coerced and sometimes are even kidnapped from their reluctant mothers or fathers. Moreover considering that this practice is usually performed at childhood or at an early stage of puberty, some even consider it as a form of child abuse. This specific accusation implies that parents who accept to circumcise their daughter are abusive or incompetent but in reality parents do so because they think they are acting in the best interests of their children and are sometimes forced