Female Genital Mutilation - Essay Example

PRESENTATION REFLECTIVE PIECE-FGM Student’s Name: Code + Course name Professor’s name University City, State Date Introduction Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) sufficed to be the subject matter in the presentation. It refers to the removal of the outer part of the female genitalia and all the associated injuries to the female genitalia without the proper consent from a medical professional. With the help of online books and journals, we identified the extent of coverage of the abuse in the world. According to the research conducted by the group, the number of women that have undergone the mutilation in the world ranges between 100 and 140 million. Every year, approximately three million girls face the threat of undergoing the mutilation. Even though almost all the parts of the world exhibit the practice, the Western, North-Eastern and Eastern regions of Africa show the highest prevalence of the abuse (WHO 2008). The other individuals that engage in the illegal practice include the North American immigrants, persons from the Middle East and Asia. According to medical professionals, FGM does not impact positively on the health of its victims. However, the associated adverse effects of the practice on the affected girls and women encompass the traumatising and painful nature of the practice. To generate the evidence utilised in creating the presentation, the group focused on three primary online sources. The Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines: Female Genital Mutilation was one of the online sources used by the group to gather substantial evidence regarding the prevalence of FGM in the UK. The source provides information concerning the prevalence of the practice in the UK, overseas and on a global basis. For instance, Egypt, Sudan, Mali, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Somalia exhibited an over 80% prevalence of the practice. In the UK, approximately 60,000 children aged between 0 and 14 years had mothers that were victims of the practice. The research also revealed that FGM consequences were prevalent among 24,000 women aged above 50 years and 103,000 women aged between 15 and 49 years. Furthermore, FGM results were also evident in approximately 10,000 girls aged below 15 years that had migrated to Wales and England (Forward 2007). Immigration and the increase in population in the UK turned out to be the principal cause of the significant number of individuals living with FGM consequences in the region. The UK also revealed an uneven distribution of FGM prevalence emanating from whether the immigrants originated from practicing societies or not. Consequently, the prevalence was higher in regions that portrayed a greater concentration of immigrants that originated from practicing countries. Some of the regions encompass Manchester, London, Birmingham, Cardiff, Northampton, Crawley, Oxford, Milton Keynes, Slough and Reading (HM Government 2014). Moreover, it explains the motives for the practice and the cultural underpinnings that govern FGM. Some of the motives that were evident in the presentation include improving the girl’s status and earning respect for the participant. Secondly, communities encouraged the practice following its contribution to the chastity of the girl. Other perpetrators of the abuse also regarded the practice as a passage right for the girl and a proof that the victim is indeed a woman. The research used in the presentation also revealed that the practice guaranteed social acceptance on the part of the girl in the event of marriage besides upholding the honour of the family. The practicing countries also regard FGM as a way of purifying and cleansing the girl besides guaranteeing a sense of belonging for the girl’s family in the community. The participants also believed that mutilating female genitalia was a way of fulfilling a religious requirement besides enabling the girl to maintain proper hygiene and cleanliness (HM Government 2014). The proponents also attached a high aesthetic value to the act. Moreover, they believed that mutilated genitalia proved safer during childbirth and rid the families of evil spirits and bad luck. The source also contained the recommended practices that the "at-risk" individuals ought to follow so as to minimise their likelihood of succumbing to the evil practice. One of the findings of the research indicated that communities attribute FGM to particular moral and social values. Apparently, the opponents of FGM recline on its short-time and long-term consequences as the arguments against the propagation of the culture in the society. Some of the short-term implications revealed in the presentation include haemorrhage, severe pain, psychological and emotional distress. Wound infections, urinary retention, injury to the adjacent tissues, dislocation or fracture, the death of the victim and the associated damage to the victim's organs are the other consequences. The presentation also revealed several long-term effects that include infections of the pelvic and vaginal regions, menstruation, and urinating difficulties, and possible renal failure and impairment. The other consequences encompass possible infertility, obstetric fistula, infibulation cysts, the formation of keloid scar and neuromas. Moreover, the victim may suffer from childbirth complications, reduced sensation and sexual pleasure, possible infections of STDs, psychological distress, and eventual death. The other pertinent aspect of the source entails its information regarding the identification of the “at risk” women and girls and the conditions that increase the risk of a woman or girl to undergo the procedure. The necessity for identifying the risk factors emanated from the fact that one of the greatest milestones towards combatting the practice entails eliminating the risk factors. As a result, determining the "at risk" women and girls necessitate the understanding of several factors. The first factor identified during the presentation entailed the family’s position and the associated integration of the family into the UK society. The presentation revealed that the more the integration of the family in the UK society, the less the likelihood of involvement of the family in FGM (HM Government 2014). However, families characterized by higher levels of foreign culture exhibited the higher levels of FGM prevalence. Secondly, the presentation revealed that girls born of women that had undergone the practice were more likely to engage in FGM as compared to those born of the non-mutilated mothers. Thirdly, any girl having a sister that has undergone FGM is at risk of undergoing the practice also. The research also revealed that girls withdrawn from social, health, and personal education stand a high chance of practicing FGM as compared to those that are still under the education programmes. Besides understanding the risk factors, the group also found it appropriate to identify the possible indicators that could hint that the FGM practice is about to take place. Some of the identification factors include the visitation of an elderly female family member from overseas; especially when she is coming from a country that exhibits high levels of FGM prevalence. The group also identified FGM references among the “at risk” girls as a possible indicator that the practice was imminent among the girls. Thirdly, whenever a girl excuses or rather states that she has to attend a special occasion to become a woman, and then it is more evident that she intends to undergo the FGM procedure. In the case of girls that oppose the practice, they may opt to share out an impending FGM procedure with their teacher or another elderly person. In other cases, the parent may request for permission for the girl child on the account that the latter intends to travel overseas for a particular occasion. Talks concerning a long holiday to the girl’s country of origin or another country that exhibits a high level of FGM prevalence suffices to be the other indicator of an impending FGM procedure. Lastly, the members of the group also found out that the decisions of parents to withdraw their children from FGM lessons may also imply that the female children emanate from households that support FGM. Legal interventions also sufficed to part of the contents of the source since it was imperative to understand the existing legal interventions concerning the topic. Understanding the legal measures that impede the practice was fundamental in determining the level of success of the war against FGM. The group used the Female Genital Mutilation Act of 2003 contained in Chapter 31 of the UK Constitution. According to the Act, one commits an offense associated with FGM if and only if she/he infibulates or mutilates part or the whole of the genitalia of a female person for social and moral reasons. It is also an offense to assist a girl in mutilating her female genitalia. Furthermore, it is an offense to mutilate or assist in the mutilation of the genitalia of a girl of a non-UK origin either in the UK or overseas (HM Government 2014). The research revealed that it was imperative to safeguard young people and children from the genitalia mutilation abuse. The old people also fall under the “at risk” category. It was also appropriate to provide moral and medical support to the victims of the practice in the society. The presentation yielded substantial arguments between the proponents and opponents of FGM. The proponents of the abuse emphasised on the moral and social benefits associated with the procedure as their arguments for the case. However, the opponents considered both the short-term and long-term effects of the practice as the probable counter-arguments against the social injustice. The presentation also revealed heated arguments regarding the indicators that FGM had already taken place since it turned out that some of the indicators emanated from other causes rather than an FGM procedure. For instance, stomach and menstrual problems and frequent urination may indicate other medical problems that do not have an association with FGM. Moreover, some members argued that repeated and prolonged absences of a student from the school had different implications caused by various medical problems. The unanimous agreement of all the members and audience during the presentation was that it was imperative to follow the evidence adequately to gather substantial evidence concerning the occurrence of the act prior to making a conclusive remark. About the adverse health consequences associated with the practice, I opine that FGM is an expression of social injustice. Consequently, the law and the society should strive to rid the world of the social dilemma by apprehending and convicting the proponents and perpetrators of the practice. Conclusion Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) sufficed to be the discussion topic in the presentation. The research conducted on FGM by the members of the group revealed that the practice is prevalent among families having little levels of integration into the UK society. Moreover, families that comprise of individuals originating from countries that exhibit higher levels of FGM prevalence are more likely to commit the social injustice as compared to native European households in the UK. The Female Genital Mutilation Act of 2003 prohibits the mutilation taking part in the mutilation of the female genitalia of a girl; either of UK origin or an immigrant both in the UK and overseas. Reference List Forward 2007, ‘A Statistical Study to Estimate the Prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation in England and Wales’. Available from: http://www.forwarduk.org.uk/key-issues/fgm/research HM Government 2014, ‘Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines: Female Genital Mutilation’, Crown. World Health Organisation (WHO) 2008, ‘Eliminating Female genital mutilation’, An interagency statement. Geneva: World Health Organization, Department of Reproductive Health and Research, vol. 1. Read More