GROUP 3

The Female
Genital Mutilation
Presented by: Abanes, Abella, Antiampo, Cantomayor, Jorquia,
Jungco, Lumagbas, Mustapha, Olaco

MLS-2D
 What is FGM?
A traditional practice done in many parts of the
world, where the external female genitalia is
partially or totally incised or excised for non-
therapeutic reasons, usually without the
consent of the individual.

Female genital mutilation
(FGM) refers to “all
procedures involving partial
or total removal of the
female external genitalia or
other injury to the female
genital organs for non-
medical reasons.”
Africa accounts for the largest
share of this total, with over 144
FGM is a violation of million. Asia follows with over
girls’ and women’s 80 million, and a further 6
human rights. Around million are in the Middle East.
the world, over 230 Another 1-2 million are affected
million girls and women in small practicing communities
have been cut. and destination countries for
migration in the rest of the
world.
History of Female Genitalia Mutilation
The exact origin of the practice of FGM remains unclear. With its widespread
prevalence, it is considered to be of “multi-sourced origin”

5th Century B.C. 1950s

FGM can be traced back to Ancient Egypt along the In the western world, FGM was practiced to
Nile Valley at the time of Pharaohs, where it was treat various ailments like hysteria, epilepsy,
done in order to prevent females slaves from mental disorders, masturbation,
getting pregnant nymphomania and melancholia.

Female Egyptian mummies show signs of

infibulation. The geographical distribution of FGM
in this era, spanned around the west coast of the
Red Sea.
 REASONS WHY FEMALE GENITAL
MUTILATION IS PRACTICED
As mentioned earlier, there are many reasons why certain ethnic communities
still practice FGM despite the number of complications and ill effects listed by
the WHO. These range from the cultural to the religious and social factors
enumerated as follows:

FGM is a result of social pressure to conform to a traditional practice.

FGM is considered as a part of a young girl's passage to adulthood.

FGM is believed to restrict premarital sexual acts by reducing

sexual urges that comes as an aftermath of the operation

FGM is associated with cultural ideals of femininity and modesty

FGM is considered a cultural tradition

FGM is linked to religious beliefs

 Categories of FGM:
The World Health Organization (WHO) classified FGM into four broad categories in 1995
and again in 2007:
 TYPE 1 TYPE 2

Clitoridectomy Excision
Partial or total removal of the clitoris and/or Partial or total removal of the clitoris and labia
the prepuce minora, with or without excision of the labia majora
 TYPE 3

Infibulation
Narrowing of the vaginal orifice by cutting and
bringing together the labia minora and/or the
labia majora to create a type of seal, with or
without excision of the clitoris. In most
instances, the cut edges of the labia are
stitched together.
 TYPE 4

Hymenectomy
Cutting of the vagina and introduction of
corrosive substances or herbs into the
vagina to cause bleeding or to tighten or
narrow the vagina
As well as, all other harmful procedures
to the female genitalia for non-medical
purposes, for example: pricking, piercing,
incising, scraping and cauterization.
 How is FGM performed?
Instruments used:
Razors, blades, unsterilized sharpen kitchen knives, sharpened stones, glass and
fingernails.

Circumciser/cutter - the person who performs the procedure, often an older woman. In
some communities, it is performed by males or barbers.
Cutters usually perform procedures using unhygienic practices, such as repeated use of
a single instrument in up to 30 girls.
Anesthesia is not commonly used in traditional FGM procedures.
In performing type II and III FGM, the girl/woman’s legs are bound together from hip to
ankle to ensure immobility during the procedure, and it remains so up until 40 days after
the procedure to allo the formation of scar tissue in the genitalia.
Stone tools from Australia used for circumcision and clitoridectomy
© John Atherton
A gourd, with a snake skin
collar and a dip stick
A goat skin wrapper for a A hand-forged cutting tool
stopper, used for
hand-forged circumcision A shaving razor blade. that has been passed
medicine that is applied
blade in Tanzania in 2017. (Pradip Malde) down several generations.
to the wounds associated
(Pradip Malde) (Pradip Malde)
with female genital
mutilation. (Pradip Malde)
 Legislations on Female Genitalia Mutilation
Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “everyone has the right
to a standard of living adequate for health and well-being,” and this statement has been
used to argue that FGM violates the right to health and bodily integrity.

With FGM considered as a form of violence against women, the UN Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women can be invoked.

Similarly, defining it as a form of torture brings it under the rubric of the Convention against
Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

Moreover, since FGM is regarded as a traditional practice prejudicial to the health of

children and is, in most cases, performed on minors, it violates the Convention on the Rights
of the Child. An interagency statement on FGM, issued by 10 UN organizations, was issued in
2008.
“No health benefits, only harm” according to
WHO
FGM has no health benefits, and it harms girls and women in many ways. It involves removing and damaging healthy
and normal female genital tissue, and it interferes with the natural functions of girls' and women's bodies. Although
all forms of FGM are associated with increased risk of health complications, the risk is greater with more severe
forms of FGM.
 Immediate complications:

severe pain
excessive bleeding (hemorrhage)
genital tissue swelling
fever
infections e.g., tetanus
urinary problems
wound healing problems
injury to surrounding genital tissue
shock
Death
 Long-term complications:

urinary problems (painful urination, urinary tract infections);

vaginal problems (discharge, itching, bacterial vaginosis and other infections);
menstrual problems (painful menstruations, difficulty in passing menstrual blood, etc.);
scar tissue and keloid;
sexual problems (pain during intercourse, decreased satisfaction, etc.);
increased risk of childbirth complications and newborn deaths;
need for later surgeries: for example, the sealing or narrowing of the vaginal opening (type 3) may lead
to the practice of cutting open the sealed vagina later to allow for sexual intercourse and childbirth
(deinfibulation); and
psychological problems (depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, low self-esteem, etc.).
Social Acceptance of
Female Genital
Mutilation
Society still considers the
health of females and not the
future outcomes, particularly
whether the woman will bear
children with genetic disorders
or deformities. Acceptance of
FGM by the society has not
been fully achieved because of
intervening factors such as:
1. Expenses covered
2. Expertise of the person doing
the procedure of female
genital mutilation
3. Trial-and-error
experimentation
4. Opinions and views of the
family
5. Violation of God's will
6. Conscience
Any of these intervening factors can
strongly reject or go against female genital
mutilation.
 Moral Issues and Concerns about Female Genital
Mutilation

1. Right to Live

Once she gets married, a woman is concerned whether her would-be baby has the right
to live or not. If a woman has a history of genetic disorder in the family and needs to
avoid having a child with genetic disorder, mutilation is the answer. Precisely, the
expected child's right to live is hindered from the time the woman embraces the process
of mutilation
 Moral Issues and Concerns about Female Genital
Mutilation

2. Right to Survive

This right to survive has been the slogan of the rich who have children with genetic
defects or the poor with a large number of children. From the scientific point of view, a
child with a genetic defect will have a lower chance of survival or a shorter life span.
In the case of a poor family with a large number of children, both parents face two
conflicting reasons
a. The parents cannot support the large number of children
b. undergoing female genital mutilation will incur expenses.
 Moral Issues and Concerns about Female Genital
Mutilation

3. Right to Freedom

Even if women declare their consent prior to the operating procedure, still such an
agreement is ethically invalid because it lacks either voluntariness or is based on an
inadequate understanding of the true nature of the situation
Majority of the people in a society consider FGM as ethically indefensible, that is, a
physician involved in such a procedure may be considered as having violated medical
ethics.
 References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5422681/
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-
sheets/detail/female-genital-mutilation?
https://www.worldvision.org/child-protection-news-
stories/female-genital-mutilation-fgm-facts?
https://data.unicef.org/topic/child-protection/female-
genital-mutilation
https://www.washingtonpost.com/photography/2022/08/
29/where-loss-comes-explores-love-violence-sacrifice-
gain/
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stone_tools_from
_Australia_used_for_circumcision_and_clitoridectomy.jpg
 PRESENTED BY GROUP 3

Thank you
very much!