Buy term paper on The Tradition of Female Genital Cutting and Why It Should Be Banned

The tradition of female genital cutting is one of the most controversial traditions that persist in the modern world. On the one hand, the female genital cutting is a symbol of maturation of girls and, in many countries, where this tradition persist, the female genital cutting is considered to be a form of initiation, a transition of a girl to her adult life. On the other hand, opponents of the female genital cutting lay emphasis on the negative effects of this operation on women’s health, whereas feminists stress that the female genital cutting is a form of oppression of women by men. In actuality, both views have their own reasons and strong as well as weak points but the female genital cutting should be definitely banned and it has been already banned in many countries such as the US as well as it is banned at the international level as a form of discrimination against women and an act dangerous to women’s health.
First of all, it should be said that the tradition of female genital cutting originates from initiation rites and, today, this tradition persist in some African countries mainly as well as in some Muslim, Sunna countries. Basically, this tradition symbolizes the initiation of girls that means their coming of age. In fact, the female genital cutting is considered to be a form of the transition of girls from their childhood to their adult life. At any rate, often this rite accompanies, sometime precedes and sometimes follows the first menstruation girls have, which implies that they have already grown up and ready to start an adult life. To a certain extent this tradition is similar to the male circumcision. At any rate, in many cultures female genital cutting is considered to be a part of the regular life of women and they can hardly avoid this operation. In this respect, it is important to lay emphasis on the fact that the female genital cutting is a socially significant act in societies where this tradition persists. The female genital cutting comprises a part of the socialization of women because, if they fail to undergo the female genital cutting, they are considered to be a sort of outcasts or immature women, who are not ready for adult and sexual life. Moreover, in many countries, the female genital cutting is a religious rite similar to that of male circumcision. As a result, women undergo the female genital cutting because of cultural and religious traditions.buy term paper
However, the female genital cutting raises a strong opposition from the part of health care professionals and feminists, who insists on the total ban of female genital cutting. In fact, the female genital cutting has been already limited consistently by legislators at both domestic and international levels. For instance, the article 2 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination of Women reads as follows:
States Parties condemn discrimination against women in all its forms, agree to pursue by all appropriate means and without delay a policy of eliminating discrimination against women and, to this end, undertake: (…) (f) To take all appropriate measures, including legislation, to modify or abolish existing laws, regulations, customs and practices which constitute discrimination against women. (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination of Women).
Moreover, the Article 5 of the same Convention reads as follows:
States Parties shall take all appropriate measures: (a) To modify the social and cultural patterns of conduct of men and women, with a view to achieving the elimination of prejudices and customary and all other practices which are based on the idea of the inferiority or the superiority of either of the sexes or on stereotyped roles for men and women. (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination of Women).
In such a way, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination of Women encourages national governments and legislators to develop legal acts and norms which limit and prevent discrimination of women. In this regard, it is important to understand that the female genital cutting is the violation of basic rights of women because this act is the manifestation of male dominance over women.