Culture, Tradition,Power and Sexuality:
The Difficulties in Understanding and Ending Female Circumcision
AalborgUniversity
Culture, Communication and Globalization
Master’s Thesis
Jennifer Watson
Culture, Tradition, Power and Sexuality:
The Difficulties in Understanding and Ending Female Circumcision
Supervisor: Mammo Muchie
Preface
The author of this project holds full rights and responsibility to the work. I acknowledge other scholar’s work through proper quotations and citations.
…………………………………………….
Jennifer Watson
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………1
Problem Formulation……………………………………………………………...4
2. Methodology……………………………………………………………………….…..5
3. Theory……………………………………………………………………………….…6
3.1. Cultural Relativism…………………………………………………………...6
3.2. Power and Power Relationships……………………………………………..10
4. Female Circumcision……………………………………………………………...…13
4.1. Introduction………………………………………………………………….13
4.2. Consequences of Circumcision……………………………………………...16
4.3. Reasons for Performing Circumcision………………………………………18
4.3.1. Social Aspects…………………………………………………...... 18
4.3.2. Sexual Aspects…………………………………………………….19
5. Female Circumcision from those who practice and participate…………………..20
5.1. Nigeria……………………………………………………………………….20
5.2. Egypt………………………………………………………………………...21
5.3. Kenya………………………………………………………………………..26
5.4. Sudan……………………………………………………………………...…27
5.5. Sierra Leone…………………………………………………………………35
6. Movements against Female Circumcision………………………………………….39
6.1. National Laws and Regulations in Various African Countries……………...39
6.2. Historical Legal Movements against Female Circumcision………………...43
6.3. Response from International Organizations………………………………...45
6.4. Responses from Some African Countries…………………………………...49
7. Criticism of Anti-Female Circumcision Discussions………………………………57
8. Analysis……………………………………………………………………………….63
9. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………68
Bibliography
Abstract:
This project was written to look at the issue of female circumcision, also known as female genital mutilation, and why it has been difficult to stop. Using articles and interviews, the author looked at the causes and reasons behind the practice and why it continues despite so much opposition from various organizations and people.
After reading interviews conducted by other researchers as well as personal accounts from those who have been circumcised, it has been realized that circumcision is a far more complex issue than many will admit or discuss. Traditions that have been in place for hundreds of years have their hold on communities and affect how people identify themselves and others.
It is these traditions and the need to identify with a community that many times driveswomen to undergo circumcision. Gender relations can affect whether women are circumcised but men often have very little or no say in if it is done.
Stopping the practice of circumcision has been a long, difficult and largely unsuccessful process. Movements started as early as the 1920s by missionaries in Kenya and continue today involving international organizations such as the World Health Organization. Previous attempts to stop the practice have been met with nationalist resistance. Today’s efforts continue to be unsuccessful but local programs in some countries have had some success in convincing villages to stop circumcising girls.
Stopping female circumcision will be a long and difficult process. But it will never be fully eradicated until the full cooperation of those practice it is achieved.
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