Female Genital Mutilation

After claiming myself as a feminist some time in 2003 and reading books as well as articles on feminism, I found out that many ethnic groups in Africa and the Middle East practice female genital mutilation (FGM). FGM involves the partial or complete removal of the clitoris, a sensitive part of the female genitals, and the surrounding tissue.

Based on my own experience, I opine that the clitoris is the most important part of women’s genital organ to get orgasm. Therefore, I absolutely agree if feminists strongly oppose the practice of FGM because I believe FGM is done mostly to control women’s sexual desire, or even to terminate women’s ability to enjoy sex. It is obvious that women are only considered as sexual objects. They are not to enjoy sex as subjects.

the pic was taken from here

World Book 2005 (the digital edition) stated that because there is no health benefit from the procedure, the practice is condemned by many human rights organizations and medical authorities. Risks associated with the procedure include blood loss, infection, lasting pain, and a reduced ability to enjoy sexual relations.

Reading about FGM reminded me of what happened several days after Angie was born. My curiosity when looking at her genital organ that looked like mine made me decide NOT TO DO anything with it. I would have been very guilty if I had been involved to make her only as a sexual object because of losing her most sensitive part to get sexual satisfaction. I do hate to be sexual object only. I would never forgive myself if in fact I “help” make her as a sexual object in her sexual life later on.

To reaffirm my definition of being a feminist—a woman absolutely has full rights to make decision and choice in her life—in talking about FGM, let women choose whether they will happily let anybody do mutilation toward their genital organs because they do not want to expose their sexual desire openly, or even to totally “lose” their passion and be happy to be sexual objects for their life partner. Or they will not let anybody do anything toward their genital organs, especially to reduce their ability to enjoy sexual relations because they want to be sexual subject.

To know more about FGM, I will post an article (in Bahasa Indonesia) in my blog here  I got the article from mailing list “Jurnal Perempuan”. Or you can just do googling for that.

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