Do any (Afro) Americans know about FGM in Africa?

Question

FGM= female genital mutilation
A common practice in many countries of Africa and Asia.
They remove the labia and some or all of the clitoris and sew up the vagina, since according to the men that insist on it:
"Women have evil things between their legs."
Folks, this happens to 2 million little girls a year. Do a search for Waris Dirie, an author of several books on her life and this issue. Read "Desert Flower" Waris was circumcised at 5 and ran away from home at 13 when her dad wanted her to marry an old man in exchange for 5 camels.
This is NOT fiction and I think there should be a bigger outcry, especially from Afro-Americans, who have quite a lot of power compared to the poor Africans girls that often die from the practice. Why not more outcry?

Answer 1

Of course we know about it. The other poster said it best, celebrities aren't the only people helping in Africa. We are donating and volunteering too.

Don't assume we aren't concerned just because the media isn't discussing it.

Answer 2

Your information is not entirely accurate.
First of all, the practice is generally controlled by the mothers, not the fathers.
The most common forms of female genital cutting does not involve sewing closed the vagina. Type 1 and 2 of female genital cutting is far more common.
The reasons given are hygiene and health, the exact same reasons for Male Genital Mutilation which is rampant in countries like the United States.

Both practices significantly reduce sexual sensitivity.
Both practices are done without the consent of the child.


"Circumcision removes the most sensitive parts of the penis and decreases the fine-touch pressure sensitivity of glans penis. The most sensitive regions in the uncircumcised penis are those parts ablated by circumcision. When compared to the most sensitive area of the circumcised penis, several locations on the uncircumcised penis that are missing from the circumcised penis were significantly more sensitive." Circumcision removes as much as 75% of sensation [ http://www.nocirc.org/touch-test/bju_6685.pdf ].

The foreskin reduces the force required by the penis to enter the vagina. It also increases the sexual enjoyment of the female partner. Here is a study to back this up: http://www.cirp.org/library/anatomy/ohara/

Performing circumcision on a child can and does result in the deaths of children due to blood loss and/or failure of the immune system.
http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=512542
Approximately 230 American males die every year because of circumcision. [ http://www.sexuallymutilatedchild.org/deathsdo.htm ] This is a meaningless and very sad loss of life.

It can and does result in very significant scaring.
It can and does result in sexual problems later in life.

Circumcised males have a much higher rate of sexual dysfunction and premature ejaculation. [ http://www.cirp.org/library/sex_function/ ]

Video of Male Genital Mutilation:
http://youtube.com/watch?search=&mode=related&v=XmX6RdRNoqk

No medical institution in the developed world actually recommends the practice.
Let's have a look at medical associations in the developed world. The British Medical Association, Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Canadian Paediatric Society, American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, Australian College of Paediatrics and Australasian Association of Paediatric Surgeons. Every one of them recommends AGAINST performing the procedure. Their positions on the procedure can be found here: http://www.circumcision.org/position.htm

There are many men who try to undo the damage done to them every year: http://www.norm.org/
It is wrong to force an irreversible process onto them that they may not undergo as a adult if they still had the choice.





Comparison of FGM and MGM:
http://www.circumstitions.com/FGMvsMGM.html

Here are some very significant articles on circumcision that I recommend:
http://www.birthingthefuture.com/AllAboutBirth/circumcision.php
http://www.compleatmother.com/articles3/femalecircumcision.shtml




There is very increasing resistance to Male Genital Mutilation in the world. See the first group in my sources. As for Female Genital Mutilation, the U.N. has already condemned the practice and seeks to abolish it.

They are both mutilations of the genitals. A parent does not have a right to mutilate their child's genitals by the following UN conventions: the U.N. Universal Declaration on Human Rights, the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the U.N. International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights. These violations were brought to the attention of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in 2001 both orally and in writing by NOCIRC. However, the U.N. has yet to take action with respect to it's lack of condemnation of Male Genital Mutilation. [ http://www.mgmbill.org/un.htm ]

Answer 3

Well, to answer your question there are many African Americans who are concerned not only about FGM in Africa, but many of the problems that plague the continent, including war, poverty AIDS, etc.

Just because you don't see a bunch of black celebrities (other than Oprah) trouncing back and forth to Africa does not mean we are not concerned.

Groups ranging from The Links, to members of the National Panhellenic Council, to 100 Black Men and numerous black churches all have outreach and charitable efforts that benefit people there, and they do educate people on FGM.

At the same time, I also feel that African Americans have been grossly miseducated about Africa and hold the same bigotry about the place as many whites, particularly on the FGM subject.

Also, it's important to note that FGM does not go on EVERYWHERE in Africa. Having lived in Ghana myself, the people there told me they find the practice reprehensible. Many southern Africans tell me the same thing.

FGM also seems to manifest itself in places with the highest HIV infection rates, that is among people who are the most misled about health issues. At one time, many of these people simply used herbs to cure their ailments and lived a simple, happy life.

But because of issues ranging from colonialism, war, enslavement that isolate obscure areas from more enlightened areas, abusive practices like FGM flourish.

So to answer your question, just because you only see Angelina Jolie and George Clooney on television talking about Africa, it doesn't mean we aren't working for the betterment of our people.

Answer 4

There are warm women everywhere finding on your style. in case you like afro-american women, i can't think of of any rationalization why you will discover all the ladies in africa unattractive!

Answer 5

What can we do? It was hard enough for us to get our rights in this country. And if it was up to certain people, we still would be cotton picking. Maybe the government should get involved. But they won't because it's in Africa. Had the same thing occurred in a European country, they would have been close to declaring war on the people doing it.

Answer 6

Yes I know about it and it's just as bad as honor killings/suicides. But why should I as a black person make a huge cry over that? That isn't a race issue it's Gender issue and believe me the Feminist Make A HUGE cry over this they have for years.

Answer 7

Yes, I know of that horrible practice, I also know of a certain tribe that files down the teeth of prepubescent girls so that they won't eat as much...

Answer 8

because FGM and female circumcision are just not commmon practice anymore. Plus, this mainly happens in the rural parts, and we know rural people tend to be a little backwards sometimes.

Answer 9

What about all the Male Genital Mutilation going on right here ? shouldnt we stop this first before minding another persons skin?

Answer 10

yes. and I have read Ms. Diries book

better still I have KNOWN people who had this happen and work with a charity specifically for it

let it go

you have gotten to show how "inferior" you feel Africa is and how "lucky" we are to be here instead of there

Not

Stop worrying about my people and worry about your own life.