Female Genital Mutilation Carolina Macias - 1688 Words

Female Genital Mutilation Carolina Macias HSC 425 Matza-Fall 2016 Word Count- 1537 Abstract/Introduction The World Health Organization, also known by the acronym WHO, has defined female genital mutilation as â€Å"procedures that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.† FGM (acronym for female genital mutilation) is highly prevalent in Africa and the Middle East. An estimated 200 million and counting have been victims of this practice (UNICEF New York, 2016). In the past 20 years the tradition of female circumcision has received a lot of attention from the public and mass media and has been at the center or controversial debate (Kalev, 2004). Why? Because female circumcision is extremely detrimental to a female’s health as it causes long-term and short-term health complications and psychological damage to the victim. This research paper will discuss these topics and reassure the reader that female genital mutilation has and serves no benefits and is ultimately a violation of human rights. Cultural Norms Female circumcision, more appropriate term for this paper would be female genital mutilation, is primarily performed on young school-age girls and serves as a â€Å"coming of age ritual† (Kalev, 2004) for some culture. In being circumcised, the young girl is now ready for her passage to becoming a woman. Being circumcised is a status as well, in being circumcised the girl is ready to take on the duties of a woman with