Female Genital Mutilation as Violation of Human Rights

Essay by anacondaUniversity, Bachelor'sA+, August 2005

download word file, 12 pages 4.0

To define the word "social injustice" it is necessary to look at each word. Social means "of or relating to human society" and, injustice means "the violation of right or of the rights" . So as one, the word would mean the violation of right or of the rights of or relating to human society. To put this into simpler terms, it is the wrongful harming of a human and/or their society.

Identifying an aspect of society that fits this definition of a social injustice should be a simple task considering there are many around you and possibly directly affecting you. I have found an aspect that affects me somewhat indirectly. This aspect is female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female circumcision (FC) or female genital cutting (FGC).

Why is female genital mutilation a social injustice? First you must understand what female genital mutilation is. "Female Circumcision or Female Genital Mutilation is the collective name given to several different traditional practices that involve the cutting of female genitals".

There are four different types of female genital mutilation and several justifications for it. These procedures are carried out at various ages. They can range from shortly after birth to sometime during the woman's first pregnancy. But most commonly, the operation occurs between the ages of 4 and 8. They are usually undergone as a group, such as a group of sisters.

Female genital mutilation is practiced in many places, such as throughout Middle eastern countries like Yemen, Saudi arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, and Southern algeria. also in the majority of africa including Kenya, Nigeria, Mali, Upper Volta, Ivory Coast, egypt, Mozambique, and Sudan . and in a few groups in asia and among arab and african immigrants in europe and in australia . It was also practiced in the United...