Circumcision, Female Genital Mutilation, and Male Genital Mutilation (III)
The harms to females around the world of having their genitalia cut off, and how this may also help men around the world stop this disturbing practice for themselves too.
Isn’t it interesting that the people get up in arms about women’s genitals being cut off at a young age, but they do not do that for boys?
Female Genital Mutilation cuts off a woman’s sexual satisfaction. This then is deemed that the female is more pure, non-sexual, vaginal, modest, slaveable.
It is a historical patriarchal misogynistic stance that is practiced in uneducated societies that makes part of a woman’s body “bad”. That her sexuality is not okay.
In actuality, just like in Male Genital Mutilation (circumcision) it cuts off your most sensitive organ. It cuts off your intuition, your satisfaction, your connection to your children, your love, your heart, your power, your truth.
So, Judaism is all about logic? Judaism is about Questioning, if you didn’t know.
So why are we still doing this practice to men and women?
I would say, ego. Tradition. Flip-flopping. Feeling like a dumbass…
Sometimes it helps to see the other side. There are probably a lot of men who still feel like circumcision is a good thing, because they are tied to their culture, rather than intelligent souls that are pointing towards the future of having a normal, un-mutilated penises.
So, let’s talk about Female Genital Mutilation, and I’m sure many of you men would agree this is an egregious practice. Then, after you read this article, do you feel the same way about Male Genital Mutilation? If you’re a Jew, then Question, be Curious. That is the way of God.
I used to live in Mali, West Africa in the Peace Corps where this practice of FGM was common. If your daughter did not get FGM, then she was at risk of not having a husband. It has become a cultural tradition.
I spoke with more educated people there, especially one man, and he agreed this practice was not acceptable.
FGM is not just a horrific human rights violation, it also takes its toll on the mental and physical well-being of survivors. A pilot study that was supported by the WHO found that 30% of survivors showed signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, while 80% had anxiety disorders. — Global Citizen
“I underwent FGM when I was 11 years old,” says Bishara. “I was told by my grandmother FGM is a requirement for every girl, that it made us pure.”
But what Bishara did not know was that it would leave her with irregular periods, bladder problems, and recurrent infections. She was only able to give birth via Caesarean section.
She is now an anti FGM campaigner. — BBC
Read more about Five African Female Activists fighting this barbaric treatment.
5 Activists Leading the Fight Against Female Genital Mutilation in Africa
Also, here is a film you can watch:
Jaha’s Promise
Like most other girls in Gambia, Jaha Dukureh experienced genital mutilation when she was very young. Her marriage was arranged when she was eight, and as a 15-year-old she got married to a 40-year-old man in New York. Jaha’s Promise is a touching story about a young girl’s struggle to take control of her own body, and about having the courage to confront her father, the politicians and the community that surrounds her. A strong film about an even stronger woman and the suffering of countless other women in a world where over 200 million women live with the devastating consequences of female genital mutilation, which is still being practiced in 30 countries.
Speakers: Patrick Farrelly (filmmaker)
Watch the film here.
Men in Mali are helping too!
Coulibaly speaking to the community.
Of the 180 villages we work with, 92 have now declared themselves to be FGM-free. In one of these villages in south-western Mali, the village chief explains why: “In our village, men, women and children are now aware of the consequences of FGM. Our excisers are being converted into activists for the abandonment of the practice. Our daughters are no longer excised. We have abandoned the practice of female genital mutilation.”
But it is Mali’s young people, the future generations, who will prove the most effective in ensuring long term change in the country.
“We are now able to convince adults and our peers of the consequences of FGM,” Coulibaly explains. “Our parents are lining up alongside us from now on to fight against FGM. We remain more committed than ever to ensure that no more girls suffer the consequences of this practice.” — Plan International
This is a community-wide effort for the entire world. We all need to agree that Female Genital Mutilation and Male Genital Mutilation are harmful, deleterious, makes no sense anymore, and steals the life of a human being. It is evil. Plain and simple.
In this series on Circumcision, in Part II, I wrote about the benefits to men of not having their penis cut off. Here I will write about the benefits that could be similar for women too:
Now, you get to be you!
Cutting off your vagina:
desensitizes you
can make you cruel
can make you dumb
demasculinizes you
less powerful
can make you untruthful
less intuitive
more afraid
can make you less able to communicate with your children
your soul can end up in another dimension
Tips to remain clean and STD free:
Shower your body at least daily
Make sure your socks and shoes are clean ~ tea tree oil helps
Shower after intercourse
Being cautious with who you choose to have intercourse with; do you actually Love them???
Then you do not have to worry about STDs, or feeling icky
Having a normal life-created vagina can help you:
Be more loving and kind
Connect you to your most sensitive part, your little girl
Be more creative
Have a more exotic sex drive
Be more powerful
More intuitive
More sensory ability
Grow taller perhaps
Have better sexual intercourse, because you can feel your vagina! Whew!
This Article is Written by:
Ashley Heacock
MIT Sloan School of Management, MBA
Harvard Kennedy School, MPA
The George Washington University, BA Economics, BA International Relations
My Website for Organizational Consulting and Personal Healing Sessions: awakeningconsciousness.community
Email: ashleyheacock@gmail.com
