Book about female circumcision

Female genital mutilation and the sexual blinding of women by. Clinicians therefore will be required to observe and treat the longterm effects of circumcision with an understanding that the circumstances under which the. Due to the publicity given to this topic recently, other countries are expected to follow suit, especially those with a large number of immigrants from countries which practice this procedure. Defined in 1997 by the who, unicef and unfpa as the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for nonmedical reasons. Three important lessons from a new book on female genital cutting. Lightfootklein, hanny, prisoners of ritual, an odyssey into female genital circumcision in africa. List of books and articles about circumcision online. This unique book will assist those who care for women and girls who have had, or are at risk of having female genital mutilation. A provocative book, clearly written for both general and scholarly audiences. The dawoodi bohra community has been practicing this hidden ritual of female circumcision, also known as female genital cutting fgc, for centuries, with no public discussion on its need. Supporters regard it as a central comingofage ritual that ensures chastity and. When made aware of the reality of the practice, most in the western world find it.

Circumcision books research circumcision circumcision. Waris diiriye born 1965 is a somali model, author, actress and human rights activist in the fight against female genital mutilation. Female genital mutilation, or female circumcision, is the partial or complete removal of external female genitalia. Top results in this book table of contents select item 4107304 20. It also won a national award for the best parenting book of the year. Looking at female circumcision from a literary perspective and how writers are fighting the. I had looked at a lot of research regarding female circumcision and was prepared to write paper loaded with righteous indignation over the practice. Many people in western society are unaware that females can be circumcised. There are more than 3 million girls at risk of forced.

Religious views on female genital mutilation wikipedia. But, before i had even finished the introduction, my viewpoint was changing. The heart of circumcision introduces the subject of fleshly circumcision according to gods law and spiritual circumcision according to gods law and the debate that surrounds them both. Female genital mutilation and books about ayaan hirsi magan ali.

After reading his book, one cannot continue to belittle male circumcision as a poor cousin to female circumcision. This book offers an exploration of the female circumcision practices themselves, the reasons they are done, examples of the social contexts, the health, social, and sexual consequences, and the controversies surrounding the process of change. The operation is prevalent mainly in africa, as well as in several countries in asia and the middle east. A history of a medical treatment rochester studies in medical history by sarah b. The books authors repeatedly allude to critics who have inquired into the basis for ignoring male circumcision while opposing even a ceremonial nick of female genitalia. Female genital mutilation or cutting fgmc means piercing, cutting, removing, or sewing closed all or part of a girls or womans external genitals for no medical reason. I first became aware of female genital mutilation fgm when reading the color purple, and again when reading fausiya kassindjas do they hear you when you cry. Researchers estimate more than 5,000 girls and women in the u. How supermodel waris dirie saved girl from female genital. For healthcare, seek a qualified medical professional who is knowledgeable on the benefits of a whole body and intact care and who knows the harms involved in circumcision and forced retraction. Doctors, parents, and politicians have been misled into thinking that these mutilations are beneficial, necessary and harmless. In contrast, this volume brings together contributors from anthropology, public health, political science, demography, history, and. You lose the ph balance, the soft skin that is supposed to stay soft like a female genitals turns calloused rough and discolored, destroying veins, nerve endings, the frenulum and the natural sensitivity of the glans. It is a cultural practice thought to have been established centuries ago, though its origins appear to have been lost in the past.

Practitioners believe the procedure enhances the girls health, hygiene, chastity, fertility and marriage prospects. A history of the worlds most controversial surgery by david l. Female circumcision usually involves the cutting or removal of the clitoris. Up to 20 books are listed, in descending order of popularity at this site. Human rights groups and advocates refer to female genital cutting as female genital mutilation, because doing so identifies the practice as a. Operations manual for delivery of hiv prevention, care and treatment at primary health centres in highprevalence, resourceconstrained settings. It is estimated that between 100 million and 140 million girls and women worldwide have been subjected to fgc female genital circumcision. Bolokoli, khifad, tahara, tahoor, qudiin, irua, bondo, kuruna, negekorsigin, and kenekene are a few of the terms used in local african languages to denote a set of cultural practices collectively known as female circumcision. The story makes real the fact of genital mutilation and the message it leaves behind about the female human body. Female genital mutilation fgm is the partial or complete removal of the external female genitals for cultural rather than medical or religious reasons. Female genital mutilation is a crime, an outrage, a sin before god. In working with fgm we often find that the battle is such an. Presently female circumcision is illegal in britain and other european countries through the passage of the prohibition of female circumcision act of 1985. A new law criminalizes genital cutting, a harmful practice that nine in 10 sudanese women are said to have endured.

Dirie was one of 12 children born into a large nomadic family living near somalias border with. Waris dirie, somalian fashion model, author, and womens rights activist known for her efforts to eliminate female genital mutilation fgm, also called female circumcision. These are just a few of the topics that are discussed in this revealing book study. Female circumcision an overview sciencedirect topics. Practiced in many countries across africa and asia, this ritual is hotly debated. Female genital mutilation fgm is the partial or complete removal of the external. Female circumcision and clitoridectomy in the united states. This area of the genitals is very sensitive because it. It is only in the past year that the bohra leadership has finally spoken out about why they expect the clitoral hoods of sevenyearold girls to be cut. Lightfootklein, hanny, a womans obyssey into africa. International respected experts in the fields of medicine, science, politics, law, ethics, sociology, anthropology, history and religion present. Globally the incidence of fgm is now at least 200 million women and girls, with. Yet still it occurs, even in britain and the developed world.

In the female circumcision controversy, ellen gruenbaum points out that western outrage and western efforts to stop genital mutilation often provoke a strong backlash from people in the countries where the practice is common. Male circumcision is a highly effective medical procedure that is protective against various medical conditions including urinary tract infections. It is considered a sign of belonging to the wider muslim community. Female circumcision ebook by 9780812201024 rakuten kobo. Gollahers book will be one of the driving forces that make nonmedically justified male circumcision illegal in this country, just as female circumcision. Female genital mutilation fgm, also termed as female cutting or female circumcision, is one type of genital mutilation and is defined by the world health organization who, 2008 as all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non medical reasons p. Increasing trends away from traditional practitioners and toward medicalization of fgc in africa is changing the nature and impact of the practices. Clitoridectomy was performed into the 1940s to treat masturbation, insanity, epilepsy, and hysteria. Male circumcision is widespread in the muslim world, and accepted as an established practice by all islamic schools of jurisprudence. Also called female genital mutilation, it is a controversial. The book describes fcfgm, its history, its consequences for health. In a victory for women in sudan, female genital mutilation is outlawed. Books about female circumcision what should i read next. Female circumcision women and girls have also had a variety of tortures, blood rites, and mutilations performed on their genitals.

Female genital mutilation fgm is a cruel legacy of patriarchal societies and traditions stretching back over millennia. There is a widespread view among practitioners of female genital mutilation fgm that it is a religious requirement, although prevalence rates often vary according to geography and ethnic group. Proceedings of the fourth international symposium on sexual mutilations, lausanne, switzerland, 1996. Female genital mutilation fgm occurs in many parts of the world, especially in africa. Her book woman at point zero 1975 is a fictionalised version of. American ethnologistbolokoli, khifad, tahara, tahoor, qudiin, irua, bondo, kuruna, negekorsigin, and kenekene are a few of the terms used in local african languages to denote a set of cultural practices collectively known as female circumcision. A report on the prevalence of female circumcision and female genital. Female circumcision gathers together african activists to examine the issue within its various cultural and historical contexts, the debates on circumcision regarding african refugee and immigrant populations in the united states, and the human rights efforts to eradicate the practice. Female genital mutilation an overview sciencedirect topics. The practice of female circumcision is not unknown in the west. This work brings african womens voices into the discussion.

Vanguard publications 1997 isbn 0964489538 buy this book. Mary nyangweso a kenyan woman theologian examines arguments for and against the controversial practice of female circumcision. This book covers this controversial cultural practice that is taking place. Female genital cutting fgc, the current preferred term in the international community for the practice also known as female circumcision or female genital mutilation, is practiced in countries throughout the middle east and africa and in some muslim societies of southeast asia. Visit the choosing a pediatrician page for assistance in.

Though the issue of female genital cutting, or circumcision, has become a nexus for debates on cultural relativism, human rights, patriarchal oppression, racism, and western imperialism, the literature has been separated by diverse fields of study. At the present time it is estimated that about 125 million women have undergone the procedure. And heres the famed author alice walker, who created both a film and book against fgm i think male circumcision is a mutilation. Based on interviews with 50 kenyan women representing christianity, islam, african. There is an ongoing debate about the extent to which the practices continuation is influenced by custom, social pressure, lack of healthcare information, and the position of. The book also provides compelling evidence of the pressures within particular groups, including those in england and wales, where more than 66,000 women are thought to. Socalled female circumcision, in the form of excision of the labia minora and clitoris clitoridectomy aimed at destroying sexual sensation, is known in islam although it is a cultural, not a religious practice and in certain societies of africa, south america, and elsewhere. For me personally fighting fgm is an important aspect of being a. Why do dawoodi bohras practice khatna, or female genital. This book made me look at the practice of female circumcision with a much less biased perspective.