LANA, JOHN STEVEN

2015-05530
SPCM 1 C1
Nov. 9, 2016
TITLE: Female Genital Mutilation
SPECIFIC SPEECH PURPOSE: At the end of my speech, my audience will be able to know
that female genital mutilation (FGM) is rampant in some communities, and many organizations
like the African Womens Organization, Daughters of Eve, and many more are launching
activities to abolish FGM.
THESIS STATEMENT: Female Genital Mutilation, albeit its harms and hazards, is still
rampant in some communities that is why some organizations around the world want to put an
end to it.
INTRODUCTION
ATTENTION STEP: Understanding the social dynamics that perpetuate FGM is the key to
ending it. That is a very powerful statement said by the UNICEF Innocenti Research Center.
What really is FGM? Why does it work that way? Survivors describe FGM as an indescribable
experience, it is the kind of pain that never leaves you. Is FGM really that horrible? There are a
lot of questions that pop-up in my mind whenever I hear FGM. Most of them are just like the
famous internet meme question: but why? Why in the world would they do such things?

CLARIFICATION STEP: Today, I will define what female genital mutilation is and how
rampant it is in some communities. I will also enumerate some myths about FGM that these
communities believe in, some reasons why it is practiced, and common misconceptions.

Page 1 of 4

BODY
I.

According to the World Health Organization, female genital mutilation is when the girls
genital is either partially, or even totally removed for non-medical purpose.

II.

FGM has become a world issue that needs to be addressed urgently.

A. Statistics from the World Health Organization show that FGM is widely practiced.
1. There are 3 million girls this year that are at risk with FGM, at least in Africa.
2. In other more modern countries. FGM is an illegal operation that is often done
secretly thats why statistics is hard to reckon.
3. Over 140 million girls have undergone FGM worldwide.
4. It is widely practiced in 28 countries mostly in western, central, and northeastern
Africa, and in some parts of Asia and the Middle East.
5. It has been passed on for generation to generations, and done so for thousands of
years. It is an ancient practice.
6. Due to migration, FGM happens literally everywhere. It happens in London,
Australia, US, Asia, and Europe.
B. Here are some myths which the communities who do FGM surprisingly believes in.
1. Some believe that the first born of a women who hadn't undergone FGM will not
survive because they believe that you have to shed blood for their ancestors to be
able to get blessings from them. It's abnormal to not have it done.
2. Some also say that if a girl had not undergone FGM, their clit will grow very long
until it starts sweeping the ground.
3. Some believe that when a woman was cut, she smells good as if she was wearing
perfume all the time.

Page 2 of 4

4. In these communities, girls who have not undergone FGM, or who are afraid to do
so are branded as cowards, and are not trusted by their community.
5. It makes women clean because girls will not be sleeping around with different
men. Theyre not likely to play around and see boys and have sex with them.
C. Here are some reasons why it is practiced.
1. It is done to preserve virginity.
2. It is done to maintain chastity and to safeguard the honor of the family.
3. It has always been about control of women. Another issue connected to this is the
gender imbalance in some communities in Africa. Women usually don't have
position. Its as if theyre just zeros.
D. Being a survivor of FGM is must be really hard.
1. The culture was they literally have to open the woman before intercourse and
stitch it back after. Same happens with child delivery. In some communities,
moreover, it is the man who may open it using a knife before he can have sex with
his wife.
2. Man sleep with woman whos been mutilated, and whos not been opened yet
hurts the mans penis because they have to force it.
3. Some man doesn't wholly accept their wife the moment they know she was not
circumcised. Communities treat uncircumcised woman as a kid, because it is the
cut that transform girls into a woman.
E. A common misconception about FGM is that is a religious practice, but it has nothing
to do with religion; none of the Holy Books mentioned anything about FGM.

Page 3 of 4

F. FGM is a sensitive issue and it is unusual for a man like me to discuss this kind of
issues. However, there are reasons why I chose to inform you about it.
1. Because men have help fight FGM. We can't keep closing their eyes and blame
women for this.
2. We have a bit of hypocrisy saying that it's women who do it to themselves, but
why do women do this? It is to please us, isnt it?
3. There are many government and non-government organizations working for the
abolition of FGM but spreading it goal is difficult because people strictly follow
traditions, they don't listen to these organization.
4. Some of the organizations are FORWARD UK, FIGO (figo.org), Safehands for
Mothers (safehands.org)
5. They want it to be abolished because FGM doesn't really have any benefit.
CONCLUSION
SUMMARY STEP: There, you have heard about the background female genital mutilations,
and the issues that revolve around it.
ACTION STEP: I hope this speech helps you understand FGM and how in this modern world it
still happens.
REFERENCES:
Momoh, C. (2005) Female Genital Mutilation. Oxford: Radcliffe Publishing Ltd.
Retrieved June 1, 2011, from http://www.worldwide.edu/travel_planner/culture_shock.ht
ml.
World Health Organization (2016). Female Genital Mutilation. Retrieved November 9, 2016,
from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs241/en/

Page 4 of 4