Female Genital Mutilation

[woollyideas]

It is estimated that approximately 500 British girls will be subjected to genital mutilation this summer.

www.guardian.co.uk/news/guardianfilms

Some may find this film disturbing.

Quote from film 'My mum had to pay extra for the woman to use a clean razor...'

[TheMonster]

Shocking. I had no idea that they stiched it up completely afterwards.

[FreudianSlipper]

i was shocked once i started researching FGM how many women have undergone FGM, in egypt alone over 90% have had some form of mutilation the stories are horrific and it is only done for one reason that is to control women, it is nothing like male circumcision

[ChristinedePizan]

I don't think I can watch that :( FGM horrifies me

[woollyideas]

"In some areas of London about 5% of women giving birth present with genital mutilation...'

(yesterday's Guardian)

www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jul/22/female-genital-mutilation-laws-families

[AlexAjaj]

While female genital mutiliation is of course still an issue, each year, around 1.2 million male babies in the US are circumcised in medically-unnecessary procedures ? and that?s discounting the cases where there is a genuine medical reason to do so, which I have absolutely no problem with.

While I agree that female genital mutiliation is far worse, a huge amount of male babies are still mutiliated at birth and with very little people seeing a problem with it.

[hester]

There's just no comparison between the two, and the campaigns should be kept separate.

FGM is a growing problem here, too, and some hospitals have specialist clinics and specialist midwives to manage it (St Thomas', for example). It can cause huge problems in childbirth, creating fistulas etc.

[AlexAjaj]

Well I really do think there is a comparison between the two. Both are genital mutiliation and both are done on babies or young children.

[PeopleCallMeTricky]

It's a bit like comparing a broken finger, and having an arm amputated, with no anaesthetic.

[hester]

OK, we'll have to disagree.

[TheMonster]

Whilst I don't really agree with male circumcision on babies or young children, it is not the same.

[MrsReasonable]

"It's a bit like comparing a broken finger, and having an arm amputated, with no anaesthetic."

How do you know? Anyway, surely the more apt analogy, even assuming that male circumcision is less painful, is amputating a finger without anaesthetic, not having it broken.

[TheRealMBJ]

I am completely against unnecessary male circumcision BUT to equate FGM with male circumcision is just ridiculous. FGM endangers girls and women's lives. Male circumcision reduces sexual pleasure.

Although in a man's mind the 2 might be the same

[PeopleCallMeTricky]

What I meant was that FGM is much more debilitating than male circumcision. I am not in favour of male circumcision either, and I have no doubt that it is very painful at the time, but it does not cause the same kind of long therm problems and disabilities that FGM does. If it did, it would not be done any more, would it?

[hester]

We've had endless threads on MN about male circumcision. Isn't this one supposed to be about women and girls?

[PeopleCallMeTricky]

No, no, we must discuss it again, in the interests of equality

[TheRealMBJ]

How dare you wimmin focus on something that seriously affects women? How dare you focus on an issue that endangers girls' lives?

We must turn this around to be about The Menz!

[MrsReasonable]

[HandDivedScallopsrgreat]

I don't think I can watch the film - but I have read many articles on FGM and it is horrific, sadistic and done purely for control reasons. I don't think that is comparable to male circumcision, which, for the record I am also against.

It is incredibly disturbing that it appears to be on the increase in this country. And that article woolly linked to states that "there has yet to be a single conviction, despite 100 investigations being carried out over two years by the Met" which is equally worrying considering 22,000 girls are thought to be at risk in this country and 66,000 women girls are thought to have already had the procedure.

To quote Jane Ellison "I struggle to understand why the systematic and brutal wounding of young girls is not considered a national scandal." Well, exactly.

[MrsReasonable]

It is downright hypocritical to say male circumcision is OK, not a big deal, etc, but FGM is brutal, horrific.

Separating circumcision by gender is unhelpful - it is better to separate the types, and there are many different types,

It is also not the case that male circumcision is not as dangerous or harmful - about 120 boys die in the US each year from it.

"Why, as feminists, as mothers, as general badasses, are we willing to overlook this as a human rights issue? ?Because it?s always been done? is a horrible answer. We are not those who acquiesce to the status quo. When we do, we are no better than the patriarchs we claim to fight against, perpetuating a harmful practice because it?s always been done that way and we can?t be troubled to stop it."

But anyway, this thread was specifically about FGM, so let's get back to that. Just wanted to clear up some misleading assertions, thanks.

[PeopleCallMeTricky]

Ok, so have you actually got anything to say about FGM, mrsreasonable?

[MrsReasonable]

Not really, other than obviously it's brutal and horrible and should be thoroughly stamped out.

As a feminist, I find mutilation of either gender's genitals horrible. No reason we can't fight for all babies/children, and not just 51%.

[hester]

You haven't cleared anything up, you've just given us your opinion, which you are of course entitled to do.

Anyway, back to FGM. I'd be interested in others' views on what can be done here, as opposed to in the countries where it is practised. What is a reasonable level of intrusion/intervention to prevent girls being taken abroad for FGM? How should we support girls and women who have been mutiliated and are living here, both to improve their own wellbeing and to campaign for an end to this practice?

[hester]

Not yet, but if this goes on I just might