The history of the tradition goes back thousands of years and is often (incorrectly) associated with religious dictates (von der Osten-Sacken & Uwer, 2007). It has long been associated with Islam, though there has been active opposition from many Islamic groups to prove otherwise; the procedure is not mentioned or sanctioned by the Quran (Abdelmagied, Salah, ElTahir, NurEldin, & Shareef, 2005; Abusharaf, 2001)
Why would anyone do such a procedure on a young girl, likely a daughter or a loved one? The answer to this question is quite complex. Thousands of years of history have played a part in the development of a tradition that has religious, social, cultural, physical, and even political impact (Abusharaf, 2001)
Introduction Female genital cutting evokes a strong emotional response from those in Western cultures. Many reports indicate that it is a barbaric practice, performed with un-sterilized cutting tools by untrained individuals (Boddy, 2006)
Female Circumcision Varying Conceptions of Female Genital Cutting Female circumcision, common in many African nations, is commonly associated with many assumptions and stereotypes. Among these are the beliefs by many Westerners that female circumcision is forced on women, that it is carried out using primitive methods, and that it is horrible and barbaric in all cultures where it occurs (Dellenborg, 2004)
Theoretically, the removal of the external genitalia makes sexual contact less enjoyable so that a girl is less likely to be tempted by premarital sex. The most severe genital cutting and infibulation also proves a girl's virginity since she has been sewn shut (Morris, 2006)
FGC III removes the clitoris, some or all of the labia minora, plus the cutting and suturing of the labia majora. This often includes the stitching or narrowing of the vaginal opening and is also called infibulation (Yount, 2007; "Female genital mutilation," 2006)
Advantages of Female Circumcision Disadvantages of Female Circumcision Perspective of Society That Follows the Circumcision Perspective of Ethical Feminists Application of Ethical Theories Conclusion Summary Practical Implications and Recommendations REFERENCES Introduction The feminist ethical concerns arise when the female members of the society are abused with the mutual consent of their families and members of the society (Vaughn, 2013). Female circumcision, as a matter of fact prevails in the society in which traditional surgical procedures are followed with or without the supervision of surgeon in which the genital parts of the female body are circumcised and this procedure is considered to be a part of ritual, followed by a large number of communities (Lane & Rubinstein, 1996)
However, this practice is considered to be immoral and unethical by the ethical feminist and clinical experts who imply that female circumcision practices violate the autonomy of an individual and, cause mental and physical trauma in the early childhood and generates negative health related concerns in females. Advantages of Female Circumcision Disadvantages of Female Circumcision Perspective of Society That Follows the Circumcision Perspective of Ethical Feminists Application of Ethical Theories Conclusion Summary Practical Implications and Recommendations REFERENCES Introduction The feminist ethical concerns arise when the female members of the society are abused with the mutual consent of their families and members of the society (Vaughn, 2013)
The tradition was followed till the 18th century where the clinical surgeries were operated in order to perform the surgical procedure where it was believed that the excessive genital parts of female body are responsible to cause fits, mania, mental dissatisfaction and these antecedents cause death. In 1920's, the issue was addressed by the Doctor's Society in Egypt but it failed to attract the attention of concerned authorities in order to refrain the practices related to female circumcision (Wasuna, 2000)