Ritual Female Genital Operation (Female Circumcision)

In an instant, my view of female circumcision changed forever.

Partially circumcised men had a 7 point greater risk of being HIV positive than fully circumcised men (P 0.05) and equal risk compared with uncircumcised men.

Ms. Borgia (Italy) said that the issue of female genital mutilation had been discussed by the Government, the Parliament, non governmental organizations and immigrant women from countries where it was practised.

There is no definite information on the existence of female genital mutilation in Pakistan.

Western culture is shunned and traditional Kikuyu beliefs like female circumcision promoted.

I went ahead with my plan and witnessed a girl being circumcised.

Having been circumcised herself at the age of seven, Gamal understood all too well the uselessness and harm of female genital mutilation (FGM).

The practice of FGM C remains widespread in parts of Africa.

As they've become more aware of the hazards and futility of the surgery, young mothers in Egypt have played a central role in fighting FGM.

Enactment and effective enforcement of laws that prohibit female genital mutilation and marriage of girl children.

where there can't be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondservant, freeman but Christ is all, and in all.

Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free but Christ is all, and in all.

As reported to the Centre for Islamic Pluralism by the non governmental organization Stop FGM in Kurdistan, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq, on 25 November, officially admitted the wide prevalence in the territory of female genital mutilation (FGM).

So one August, during my school holidays, I decided to learn more about female genital circumcision.

Just a few years ago, the use of male circumcision as a tool in the fight against HIV AIDS was largely unknown.

Rashad attended one of these campaigns before and heard this scholar say that FGM is religiously prohibited.

A bill thereon had been passed by the Chamber of Deputies in May 2004 and female genital mutilation would be defined as a separate crime.

Palestinian blogger Haitham Sabbah discusses female genital mutilation in Egypt and other African countries this post.

Well, it is not really a choice. Who would not laugh at the miserables, a hope for generations or at a party seeking to circumcise the security and judicial institutions and the administration ?

Al Azhar scholars and Christian clerics have repeatedly said that FGM is not a religious duty, but rather a centuries old habit.

Vivian Fouad, coordinator of the National Programme Against FGM, speaking to Global Voices at her office in the National Population Council.

FGC is least prevalent in the regions of Tigray and Gambela, where 29 and 27 of girls and women, respectively, are affected.

Vivian Fouad, coordinator of the National Program against FGM, says the practice will gradually vanish with increasing awareness and tougher penalties against perpetrators.

They also raised the issues of female genital mutilation and general violence against children, noting that these violations were often gender based.

But punishment for the perpetrators of female circumcision remains rare. The practice persists, despite legal bans.

The amendments also reclassified FGM from a misdemeanor (where offenders usually receive up to two years in prison) to a felony, which incurs tougher sentences and punishments.

Marwa Rakha, from Egypt, writes about an MP whose three young daughters have protested in favour of female genital mutilation in this post.

It will take years, but we can't stop our fight against FGM. And younger generations are on the front lines in that fight, she added.

The study concerns four populations where female circumcision occurs on a large scale Somalis, Eritreans, Egyptians and Sudanese.

But also the non Muslim communities of North Africa the Animists, even some Christians and even a Jewish tribe in North Africa is known to practice female circumcision.

Of all the problematic cultural issues facing human rights organizations, female genital mutilation was one of the most difficult practices to eliminate.

Beside the issue of potential reduction in condom use, other doubts were raised by bloggers regarding the inclusion of male circumcision in HIV prevention policy.

Although it carries the risk of bleeding to death and may lead to an array of physical and psychological problems, FGM continues, especially in Egypt's rural and marginalized regions.

But actually when you look at female circumcision, you see that it has nothing to do with Islam, it's just a North African practice, which predates Islam.

She sat on mud floors and sandy village commons to hear from these communities about their issues and priorities, and she took on controversial and culturally sensitive subjects, such as female genital mutilation and bride burning.

Likewise, the tradition of female circumcision is still a common practice in African countries such as Guinea, Sudan, Mali, Somalia, and Eritrea, where more than 85 of young women suffer from it.

The secular state, supported by feminist groups and some transnational non governmental organizations, banned female genital mutilation in 1999, without triggering massive Muslim protests.

Laila and her sister did not know what to do, but Laila heard that a highly trusted Muslim scholar would visit their village as part of an awareness campaign on FGM organized by one of the country s NGOs.

The organization lists its primary concerns as being rape, domestic violence, reproductive rights, trafficking of women, female genital mutilation, and equal access for women to economic opportunity and political participation.

Even though the approach has been suggested for a decade, the validation that medical male circumcision substantially reduces the risk of contracting HIV is fairly recent.

There is now strong evidence from three randomized controlled trials undertaken (..) that male circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexually acquired HIV infection in men by approximately 60 .

Earlier this month, the parliament toughened penalties against FGM, adopting amendments that punish perpetrators with up to 15 years in prison if a girl dies, and up to seven years simply for performing the surgery.

Its activities in the field of female circumcision include efforts to strengthen prevention focused on the groups at risk and to increase the knowledge and expertise of relevant professions in the fields of care, education and police work.

Egypt outlawed FGM in 2008. Eight years later, women s rights activists and non governmental organizations say mothers' attitudes about the procedure have transformed, and the number of circumcised girls is down.