P is for Patriarchal Abuse: Female Genital Mutilation

P is for Patriarchal Abuse: Female Genital Mutilation. Joining me this week to talk about this topic is Farzana Doctor. Farzana Doctor is the Toronto-based author of four novels: Stealing Nasreen, Six Metres of Pavement, All Inclusive, and Seven. Seven was just named an Indigo/Chapters Best Book of the Year, and Amnesty International Readers 2020 Choice. Farzana is also the Maasi behind Dear Maasi, a new sex and relationships column for FGM/C survivors. She is also an activist, part-time psychotherapist and amateur tarot card reader.  http://www.farzanadoctor.com   

In this episode we discussed female genital mutilation and how important it is to be educated on the subject, be willing to listen in a non-judgemental fashion, and understand this in terms of consent violations as well.

The WHO says:

• Female genital mutilation (FGM) involves the partial or total removal of external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.
• The practice has no health benefits for girls and women.
• FGM can cause severe bleeding and problems urinating, and later cysts, infections, as well as complications in childbirth and increased risk of newborn deaths.
• More than 200 million girls and women alive today have been cut in 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where FGM is concentrated (1).
• FGM is mostly carried out on young girls between infancy and age 15.
• FGM is a violation of the human rights of girls and women.
• WHO is opposed to all forms of FGM, and is opposed to health care providers performing FGM (medicalization of FGM).
• Treatment of health complications of FGM in 27 high prevalence countries costs 1.4 billion USD per year.

Female genital mutilation is classified into 4 major types.

• Type 1: this is the partial or total removal of the clitoral glans (the external and visible part of the clitoris, which is a sensitive part of the female genitals), and/or the prepuce/ clitoral hood (the fold of skin surrounding the clitoral glans).
• Type 2: this is the partial or total removal of the clitoral glans and the labia minora (the inner folds of the vulva), with or without removal of the labia majora (the outer folds of skin of the vulva ).
• Type 3: Also known as infibulation, this is the narrowing of the vaginal opening through the creation of a covering seal. The seal is formed by cutting and repositioning the labia minora, or labia majora, sometimes through stitching, with or without removal of the clitoral prepuce/clitoral hood and glans (Type I FGM).
• Type 4: This includes all other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes, e.g. pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterizing the genital area.

Often people are only aware of type 1 or 2. Type 4 is also frequently practised without consent. Most of these are an effort to control female sexuality and control female pleasure.