Women’s health rights are often violated in face of masculine ideals of beauty and purity. Though some argue that female genital mutilation (FGM) is a practice rooted in cultural traditionalism, there is no doubt that it arose in respond to masculine dominance. The circumcision ensures that a male gets his virgin bride through the cutting of her clitoris. And though the practice has been difficult to change, progress has slowly been made through non-governmental organizations like TOSTAN and other Human Rights Watch groups that have taken a more community-based approach to solving the problem-as stopping FGM requires both communal and organizational support. It is thus a good step, but definitely not the final one, in the advancement of women’s health rights that FGM was ban in Eritrea, a country where 90% of females underwent this process (BBC 1).
The government of Eritrea has legitimately recognized FGM as a “procedure that seriously endangers the health of women, causes them considerable pain and suffering besides threatening their lives (BBC 1).” Hence, according to the new law, anyone caught performing or condoning the practice will be held accountable and face criminal charges. It is good that the state has enacted this protective policy for women, but legislative reform does not ensure that gender discrimination will be eliminated. As liberal feminists soon found out, pressuring the state to pass anti-discrimination laws did not result in the gender equality for women. The state can only do so much in advancing the rights of women. The most pivotal step is getting society to change its patriarchal system and dismantle gender stereotypes.
Furthermore, as emphasized in the article most African countries do not enforce their FGM laws. Consequently, though the ban stands as a victory for some of the women’s organizations in Eritrea, it may be one of many symbolic laws that the state passes to appear to be a protector of women’s rights. If that is the case, then this legislative policy will due little to empower the choice of women in regards to this procedure. Additionally, the fact that most states do no enforce the policy sheds light into the continued state practice to place women’s issues as secondary to other problems most commonly associated with masculine practices such as security and military spending. As long as the state persists on maintaining its patriarchal view over women, its policies are likely to fail.
Also, the fact that the law is not enforced also reveals that a majority of the population continues to condone the practice. The state will only take action against a policy once it starts receiving a huge backlash from its fellow constituencies to enforce it. Otherwise, it will continue to allow the practice to take place despite laws. So, eliminating the practice ultimately rests on the people to publicly declare to abandon it. Public mobilization is often key to expanding the rights of women, without it little progress is bound to be made.
Overall, women have the unfortunate position of not only facing gender discrimination, but also endangerment to their health in most countries. And societies continue to legitimize gender hierarchies by defending biased practices against women. In the case of FGM, the small step is getting the state to outlaw the practice; the biggest one is getting the community to accept the law and getting the state to enforce the law. Legislative law will remain as a symbolic gesture of the acknowledgment of women’s rights until proper implementation policy is undertaken.
All citations come from the following BBC article, which can be found at:
“Eritrea Bans Female Circumcision.” BBC 4 April 2007. < http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6527619.stm>.
3 comments:
I think I've read about FGM before in some chapter I was required to read for an IR class. FGM is such an awful and unnecessary traditional practice in which, womens rights in general are violated, borrow your words, "in face of masculine ideals of beauty and purity." I agree that it is a good thing the government banned FGM in Eritrea, but at the same time it's also true that state can do so much in advancing women's rights; banning the practice won't change much until individuals abide by such laws and respect gender equality. However, the states also have the power to enforce their law and even punish those who break them. Therefore, I would not say that governments should put aside their security issues to protect women's rights, but they should give decent respect to this issue of gender inequality, so that women's rights aren't violated in such life threatening manner.
PS Your blog postings are really educational! I'll have to come back to check more of your postings!
I remember I was shocked when I learned about fgm. I know what you mean that a lot of times when I read about these horrible things, there are often a lot of factual details and statistics, but rarely first hand experiences. A book that was suggested to me is The Desert Dawn, by Waris Dirie. She experienced FGM herself and has since become a supermodel and vocal activist in preventing it from happening to other girls. The importance of personalizing such a cultural tradition that is difficult to understand will help bring about change on the cultural level. My friend lived and taught in a Massai village where they practiced FGM and when she asked her female students if their families did it, about half said yes and the other half said no, but some later confessed that their families did do it, but said not to because it is illegal. When my friend asked about what the girls thought of it, most said that they were excited and weren't really sure of what it would be like, but that it symbolized womanhood. The problem of making it illegal is that it is a hidden practice, often involving sharpened rocks out in the wilderness. It is very difficult to track when even the girls are lying about it. When you think about it like this, illegalizing such a tradition seems impossible. Hopefully, with education about the dangers of such a tradition, there will be change. Just outlawing it seems a little ridiculous though.
I remember reading all about this in high school when I was in Model United Nations. It's so tough to talk about this issue, especially when it's seen as a cultural practice to them. And because it's seen that way, how do people who don't understand their cultural practices, even begin to deem it as morally wrong? And yeah, that's the hardest part. But man, FGM is really horrifying and just so sad to read about. Just thinking of how great women have it here in America, it makes me feel so empathetic for women around the world who have no rights or say. Anyway, this post was a good reminder to be thankful. Thanks!
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