Well, this is an appalling topic. It would be very easy to say, my God, what is the matter with these people? That they would do this to a child is horrible. This practice is meant to control a woman in many aspects. Most religious and cultural practices have the aim of keeping control over women and taking their rights and handing them to men. In modern, independent women, these ideas are preposterous. While many Muslim women remain under the thumb of their husbands and fathers, their Christian counterparts continue to seek their own freedoms. This is illustrated in manner of dress and public behavior. So pointing out that any cultural practices are "wrong" would not be met with anything but scorn. Women go to doctors to have their vaginal openings made smaller to be more "accommodating" to their husbands. How is this different from FGM? I surely makes catheterization a real challenge. While I certainly think mutilating girl children is a horrible practice, it would be very hard to explain to the people that do practice it, why they should stop it. While we don’t remove everything to limit sexual pleasure, don’t we cut circumcise our boys out of habit/culture/religious practice? These acts seem the same to me.
Tags: Forensic Nursing, Forensic Nursing Chronicles, Forensic Nursing Theories, Female Genital Mutilation
Forensic Nursing Chronicles 
June 12, 2009 at 8:52 pm
These acts are indeed the same all removal of sexually erongenous tissue from the bodies of minors are appalling and illegal under numerous human rights treaties ( although they are often not percieved to be by those who are practicing them) 2 days ago I presented my research on the psychological, physical and sexual effects of male and female genital mutilations in Ireland. Good for you for recognising that all genital mutialtions regardless of gender are unacceptable.