Rethinking Feminist Discourses on Female Genital Mutilation: The Case of the Sudan
Female genital mutilation (FGM) as a violation ofthe human rights ofyoung girls and women, is a subject that in recent years has been under serious scrutiny by the media and the medical community, as well as by feminist scholars. In the United States the practice of female infibulation was brought to the scene by the case of a Nigerian migrant who appealed her deportation order on the grounds of her well founded fear of human rights violations upon returning home. This migrant argued that her daughters would be forced to undergo circumcision or infibulation if they were to return to their village of origin in Nigeria. As a corollary, a new legislation was introduced by Congresswoman Barbara Schroder to prohibit the practice especially among immigrants who thrive to keep it alive in the diaspora. While this article is not intended as a detailed or exhaustive account on feminist work on female genital mutilation, it is in cssence an attempt to provide an alternative approach to studies that fail to capture the reality of why this practice persists. Beyond stressing exotic cultural otherness, and by addressing how the practice curbs women's sexual pleasure, feminist representational discourses tend (with some exceptions) to ignore the contextuality of the forces within society that pertain to, and regulate female sexuality. By emphasizing the implications and barbarity of the excision of women's genitals on their sexual satisfiction, these studies constantly distance themselves from the socio-political and economic contexts ofwider violations ofwomen's rights.
Female circumcision in Sudan: future prospects and strategies for eradication.
In a survey on reproductive health approximately 1000 ever-married Sudanese women were randomly selected in each of three areas--Haj-Yousif and Shendi in the north where female circumcision is widely practiced and Juba in the south where it is relatively rare. Interviewers collected data on the prevalence of the three types of circumcision their social and demographic correlates womens attitudes toward the practice and their perception of their husbands attitudes. Some 87% of respondents in Haj-Yousif almost 100% of those in Shendi and 7% of those in Juba have been circumcised. Pharaonic circumcision -- the most severe type -- was reported by 96% of circumcised women in Shendi and 69% of those in Haj-Yousif but only 31% of those in Juba. However a small but significant shift from Pharaonic to Sunna circumcision appears to have occurred in Shendi and Haj-Yousif in recent years. Overall 67% of respondents in Haj-Yousif 56% of those in Shendi and 4% of those in Juba support continuation of the practice; more highly educated and economically better off women are less likely to be supportive in the two high-prevalence areas. Social custom is the most commonly cited reason for favoring continuation of female circumcision in Haj-Yousif and Shendi (69-75%) while better marriage prospects are the most frequently given reason in Juba. Based on the womens perceptions men are more likely than women to favor discontinuation. Female circumcision seems to be declining slightly in some areas of Sudan. A culturally accepted policy and political commitment to eradicate the practice are needed. Education and economic empowerment of women would help lower support for the practice. A mass media campaign publicizing the risks of female circumcision and the fact that female circumcision is not obligatory for Islamic women would also be helpful. (authors)
Sequelae of female circumcision.
Female circumcision encompasses all operations involving mutilation of the female genitalia. The 4 basic types of circumcision are summarized. There is a relationship between the geographical occurrence and the type of circumcision practiced. Age at performance of the operation varies with the region also. The practice although waning is still common in many parts of Africa. The practice in East Africa is described and photographed. Both immediate and delayed complications of the procedure are discussed.