Egypt on Thursday finally banned all female circumcision, the widely-practised removal of the clitoris which just days ago cost the life of a 12-year-old girl
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1. The custom and tradition of becoming a woman involves this "rite of passage" from childhood to adulthood (ensuring she is good marriage material);
Why good marriage material?
What does FGM accomplish?
It's a measure of control intended to...
2. A desire to control women's sexuality (virginity, morality and marriageability);
...which seems to be the root reason of the practice. In order to ensure it is carried out routinely, it needs to become...
3. A cultural practice that sometimes has a religious identification (a female's honor is a reflection on her entire family, and believing it is God's will);
...which becomes a reflection on her entire family becaue--as a sexual commodity--she is tamed. With FGM done and a demonstrated...
4. Social conformity to the community;[15]
...and therefore an acquisence to other forms of social and psychological controls like the restrictions to females being able to support themselves in general except for those few specialists for whom...
5. FGC is a primary source of income for many midwives/practitioners, who propagate the practice.
Honestly, decreeing one day that FGM is a good idea and it will be conformed to evermore is a waste because--as soon as power shifts--the practice drops. If instead you make it a requirement to survive in the culture and tie it into the religious requirements you have the means to make it permanent.
Indeed, making the women ask for it based on their own desires to conform and succeed makes the practice particularly insidious and permanent.
This declaration will likely only send the practice underground because it threatens the whole society.
Why good marriage material?
What does FGM accomplish?
It's a measure of control intended to...
2. A desire to control women's sexuality (virginity, morality and marriageability);
...which seems to be the root reason of the practice. In order to ensure it is carried out routinely, it needs to become...
3. A cultural practice that sometimes has a religious identification (a female's honor is a reflection on her entire family, and believing it is God's will);
...which becomes a reflection on her entire family becaue--as a sexual commodity--she is tamed. With FGM done and a demonstrated...
4. Social conformity to the community;[15]
...and therefore an acquisence to other forms of social and psychological controls like the restrictions to females being able to support themselves in general except for those few specialists for whom...
5. FGC is a primary source of income for many midwives/practitioners, who propagate the practice.
Honestly, decreeing one day that FGM is a good idea and it will be conformed to evermore is a waste because--as soon as power shifts--the practice drops. If instead you make it a requirement to survive in the culture and tie it into the religious requirements you have the means to make it permanent.
Indeed, making the women ask for it based on their own desires to conform and succeed makes the practice particularly insidious and permanent.
This declaration will likely only send the practice underground because it threatens the whole society.
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