Female
genital mutilation or Female circumcision as it is popularly known as is an age
old practice of partial or total surgical removal or injury of the female
genital organ which marks the coming of age of girls as they claim, enter
womanhood. It is believed that mutilating the genital organs keeps a woman’s
sexual urges under control and most importantly, keeps a check on her virginity
before marriage & marital fidelity thereafter.
Although
this barbaric practice is even today followed in many countries, people are
still ignorant about the serious health and psychological problems that come
along with the cut! This practice is generally performed by uneducated or lay
practitioners who most of the times do not have any experience or degree in
medicine or surgery. Without anesthesia and antiseptic, this process is
extremely painful and causes high level of trauma in females.
Entering
womanhood is not just a physical thing. It is way beyond this! Only when a girl
matures mentally and emotionally, when she begins understanding the world, when
she is able to decide the good & bad for herself and only when she can
start taking care of herself is a woman truly evolved.
But
it looks like tradition has blinded certain section of the crowd. They have
happily decided to turn a blind eye to the reality only to continue dragging
girls under the knife.
This
whole thing not only degrades a female’s health, but also hampers her career,
happiness and dreams! They are made to be left with no option but to marry
early. And running away from a circumcision session is next to IMPOSSIBLE.
A
mother in some part of Africa, knowing the consequences, was determined to not
let her daughter face the cut. She somehow helped her daughter escape by
sending her to her uncle’s place. But when she came back home, her husband beat
her to death and went hunting for his daughter so that the procedure could be
carried out! I don’t know what happened in the end, but hope the girl saved
herself and lives a happy life. How shameful all of this is...
I was
horrified and bewildered watching a video on FGM on YouTube! When simply seeing
the whole episode gave me Goosebumps, I cannot even imagine the level of pain
and humiliation these little girls would have to undergo!!! Just imagine how
you would feel if at this age you were forcibly made to undergo a circumcision?
Something’s churning in your tummy? Horrific! Isn’t it? And the worst part is
that the girls who are made to undergo are less than half your age! Barely 11
or 12… or may be even younger! Who
knows...?
I personally believe it is infringement of human rights and child
abuse in disguise. How can someone fiddle with my body part without my
permission? Without explaining to me its need, benefits and side effects?
It is
your body and so the choice should also be yours! It is high time we become
aware of such detrimental traditional practices being carried in our society.
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