SOPHIA R.

DE LORENZI
Short Writing Sample

Female Circumcision Within African Tribal Societies: Demonstration of Gender Inequality

through Medical Endangerment or Rightful Preservation of Cultural Traditions?

It is commonly understood that every culture be entitled to their own traditions and norms;
however, where does the line between entitlement and risk lie? The practice of female circumcision,
otherwise internationally recognized as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), is a prevalent tradition and
social norm in tribal culture. This practice “includes procedures that intentionally alter or cause injury to
the female genital organs for non-medical reasons” (World Health Organization). Female Genital
Mutilation affects “an estimated 100 million to 140 million girls and women worldwide [and] more
than 3 million girls are at risk for cutting each year on the African continent alone” (Population
Reference Bureau). The movement to eliminate this controversial procedure has grown in recent years as
it is “recognized internationally, [by popular organizations such as UNICEF,] as a violation of human rights
[as well as a violation to] a person’s health, security and physical integrity, the right to be free from torture
and cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment, and the right to life when the procedure results in death”
(World Health Organization). However, this movement has shown to be a long and arduous process as it is
a challenge to dismantle a longstanding social norm such as Female Genital Mutilation.

The circumcision of female genitalia is an undeniably excruciating physical experience. This tribal
ritual will usually occur in a young woman’s life “between [the] ages [of four] and 12, although it is
practiced in some cultures as early as a few days after birth or as late as just prior to marriage” (Female
Genital Mutilation/Cutting: Data and Trends 2). The circumcision will traditionally be carried out by an
elder woman in the community who will perform the procedure in a family home. These homes are typically
considered to be extremely unsanitary as “[Female Genital Mutilation] is illegal in most countries and must
be done in secret [;] in most of these countries, [Female Genital Mutilation] is usually done on a floor, table,
bed, or the ground” (Women’s Health). The risk of infection is further heightened in that the tools used to
complete this procedure are unsanitary as well. The woman will use either scissors, special knives, scalpels,
pieces of glass, sharpened sticks, or razor blades in which it is not uncommon to use the same instrument
on multiple girls. The hazardous conditions that these females are coerced into complying with often lead
to serious health issues. These health issues can include “immediate complications [such as] bleeding,
delayed or incomplete healing, and infections [while] long-term consequences are more difficult to
attribute, but may include damage to adjacent organs, sterility, recurring urinary tract infections, the
formation of dermoid cysts and even death” (United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund). Despite the
reoccurrence of such destructive outcomes, tribal culture maintains this practice in what seems to be a way
of preserving a cultural tradition that gives rise to an unsettling presence of gender discrimination in their
society.

The rationale behind female circumcision can vary in reason but each explanation stems from the
indisputable presence of male dominance in tribal culture. According to the United Nations Population
Fund, “the reasons given for practicing FGM fall generally into five categories: psychosexual reasons,
sociological and cultural reasons, hygiene and aesthetic reasons, religious reasons, and socio-economic
factors” (United Nations Population Fund). The rationality behind psychosexual reasons is that the removal
of female genitalia controls a women’s sexuality, protects her virginity, and increases the sexual experience
for her male partner. Sociological and cultural reasons can be attributed to the idea that the procedure is
thought to be a becoming of age ceremony; the right to becoming a woman. Hygiene and aesthetic reasons
are explained by the warped perception that the “external female genitalia are [dirty and ugly]” (United
Nations Population Fund) while religious reasons can be defended by the strong belief in one’s faith.
Finally, socio-economic factors relate to the female’s economic dependence on men as a man will only
accept a woman who has been circumcised. These five categories all relate to one another in that the end

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goal is to have the woman strive to fit a man’s personal standards. The pressure to meet these seemingly
sexist expectations is one of many contributing factors to the psychological issues that exist amongst women
as a result of the female circumcision process.

The gruesome physical damage of female circumcision often overshadows the equally alarming
psychological repercussions that exist as well. For example, the documentary, Tribal Wives: Challenging
Western Views of Polygamy and Female Circumcision, provides an inside perspective detailing the
emotional expectations that exist in regards to how a young woman should manage the seemingly
unbearable pain experienced during the circumcision. The film interviews a Maasai woman who is
responsible for the local circumcisions in her village as she shares that “a brave girl will withstand the pain
but with a coward, the women will have to hold her down and tie her up; some of them are really afraid and
those ones cry” (Tribal Wives: Challenging Western Views of Polygamy and Female Circumcision). The
female sex is not only compelled to partake in this harrowing tradition in order to become part of their own
community; they are then expected to hold back their natural psychological and physical responses to the
pain inflicted upon them during this forced participation.

The psychological consequences of female circumcision are further explored in regards to why this
painful tradition is carried on by none other than those who were forced to tolerate it themselves. The
daughters in a tribal community are typically coerced into this procedure by their own mothers. It can be
difficult to understand the psychological reasoning behind a mother’s decision to put their daughter through
the same pain she had once been forced to endure as well. However, it is not that these mothers want to see
their child suffer but it is just the opposite; it is the mother’s understanding that the circumcision is what is
best for her child as it is a form of acceptance into the society. The tribal ideology surrounding female
circumcision is that their cultural values should be considered of more importance than their physical health.
This seemingly distorted concept has been psychologically ingrained in the minds of the tribal people since
they were children. The encompassment of Female Genital Mutilation throughout a tribal member’s
childhood is what makes it extremely difficult for them to change their mentality towards the practice as
“the years between 6 and 14—middle childhood and early adolescence—are a time of important
developmental advances that establish children’s sense of identity” (Eccles 1). Therefore, the identities
being formed during this time period begin to recognize the circumcision practice as a norm in the society
which is why the perilous ritual continues throughout each tribal generation.

The preservation of cultural traditions can be of great value when the tradition being practiced is
beneficial to the cultural community as a whole. However, the cultural tradition of circumcising female
genitalia is not only harmful to the women in terms of health but it is also harmful to them in terms of
gender inequality. The female population within tribal societies has fallen victim to physical and emotion
distress as their communities are failing to recognize that these procedures may be doing more harm than
good to their supposed loved ones. This unhealthy practice has played such a large role in gender
discrimination that the lack of respect for women’s lives has become an accepted societal norm rather than
a safeguarding of a cultural ritual.

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 References

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Eccles, Jacquelynne S. The Development of Children Ages 6 to 14 (n.d.): n. pag. The Future of Children.
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