Arguments

Why does it persist?

If mutilation persists, it’s because it has some meaning for the communities practicing it. There are numerous explanations available, many of them tied up with beliefs. They can vary from one ethnic group to another.

• IT IS SAID that female genital mutilation is imposed by religion.
  IN REALITY: no religion imposes female genital mutilation. Its origins stem from customs pre-dating religions. The Koran does not mention it.
• IT IS SAID that excision of a little girl amounts to the same thing as circumcision for a boy.
  IN REALITY: on an anatomical level, the two are incomparable. Excision of a little girl corresponds to severing the penis of a boy.
• IT IS SAID that a girl’s purity and virginity need to be preserved, as well as her faithfulness as a spouse…
  IN REALITY: human behaviour is dictated by the state of hearts and minds, not by wounds.
• IT IS SAID that female genital mutilation makes women more fertile…
  IN REALITY: female genital mutilation does not increase fertility. On the contrary, it can lead to genital infections and eventual sterility. It can also complicate delivery and lead to fœtal distress.
• IT IS SAID that if the clitoris touches the baby’s head during delivery, the child can die.
  IN REALITY: Women give birth every day in ethnic groups or countries that do not practice excision, and their babies are perfectly healthy.
• IT IS SAID that customs and traditions should be respected…
  IN REALITY: some customs and traditions can have a beneficial effect (breast feeding, for example, or carrying newborns on backs). Others are highly dangerous, such as female genital mutilation.

Something to think about…