Female Genital Cutting: Human Rights & Multiculturalism

Female genital mutilation, female circumcision, female cutting: these are the various terms used when discussing the topic of removing the clitoris and/or other various parts of the vulva (Shell-Duncan, 2008).  When I think of each of these terms I have different reactions. As a public health major with strong values that stem from the culture that I live in (here in the U.S.), I see "mutilation" as abominable and I think women and young girls are being hurt (or mutilated) because of the practice. I see "circumcision" as less so, because even here in the U.S. it is a cultural norm for males to be circumcised, and is done through safe practices. The terms themselves emerge from different media outlets and view points, making the topic just that much more controversial and difficult to maneuver.


I believe that the problem isn't necessarily the practice itself, but the unsafe methods of the practice. Because this topic is so controversial I feel that I have to take a more anthropologic view point and less of an ethnocentric one shaped by mild feminism. Taking this stance, I would be more hesitant to go into these communities spouting my own beliefs on what is right and what is wrong. Having read articles outlining both pros and cons on the subject I find myself in a double bind influenced by Shell-Duncan's (2008) concluding points. Something must be done to promote the human rights of women, while taking into account their autonomy and agency, cultural values, history, and norms.

 Shell-Duncan (2008) discusses how the anti-FGM movement wants to create a global campaign that  will enforce universal human rights. I don't see how this could be possible, since there are so many cultural differences betweens countries that it would be nearly impossible to adhere to our compromises. I do believe that we can assist these communities, in the words of Shell-Duncan, "by promot[ing] solutions for the practice of FCG that offer both protection and respect for the autonomy of those women and families concerned" (Shell-Duncan, 2008, p.233 ). Before we try to decide what universal values are or should be, we should ask: what do they want?


References

Shell-Duncan, B. (2008). From health to human rights: Female genital cutting and the Hupolitics of interventions. American anthropologist, 110(2), 225-236.