Ethics and Female Circumcision Research Paper

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Female Circumcision and Ethics

The female circumcision practices are found to be followed by a number of regions and tribes in the world where this practice is considered to purify and provide health benefits to the females of that particular society. However, this practice is considered to be immoral and unethical by the ethical feminist and clinical experts who imply that female circumcision practices violate the autonomy of an individual and, cause mental and physical trauma in the early childhood and generates negative health related concerns in females.

Advantages of Female Circumcision

Disadvantages of Female Circumcision

Perspective of Society That Follows the Circumcision

Perspective of Ethical Feminists

Application of Ethical Theories

Conclusion

Summary

Practical Implications and Recommendations

REFERENCES

Introduction

The feminist ethical concerns arise when the female members of the society are abused with the mutual consent of their families and members of the society (Vaughn, 2013). Female circumcision, as a matter of fact prevails in the society in which traditional surgical procedures are followed with or without the supervision of surgeon in which the genital parts of the female body are circumcised and this procedure is considered to be a part of ritual, followed by a large number of communities (Lane & Rubinstein, 1996). The traces of female circumcision have been found in the ancient Egyptian Kingdom and Roman Kingdom starting from 500 BCE and since then, this practice has been found to be prominent in the various sectors of the world in order to ensure women's chastity. The tradition was followed till the 18th century where the clinical surgeries were operated in order to perform the surgical procedure where it was believed that the excessive genital parts of female body are responsible to cause fits, mania, mental dissatisfaction and these antecedents cause death. In 1920's, the issue was addressed by the Doctor's Society in Egypt but it failed to attract the attention of concerned authorities in order to refrain the practices related to female circumcision (Wasuna, 2000). However, this practice is still found to be followed in certain regions of the world, mainly comprising of India, Egypt, Sudan and Africa. The female circumcision practices are exalted with the strong belief of aesthetic, sociological and religious reasons where the circumcision procedure takes place in secrecy and with the mutual consent of females and their families. According to WHO (2014), there exists 125 million young girls from 29 countries who have undergone with the procedure of circumcision since infancy and till the age of 15 and this surgical procedure has implied health hazards on the lives of these girls. The procedure of circumcision takes places in the girls before their puberty and the procedure is operated without the proper medical equipment and clinical practices which causes mental and physical trauma on the young girls who face the surgery.Moreover, the long-term health effects of female circumcision are also not foreseen by the clinical experts and are needed to be addressed with respect to the feminist ethics.

Thesis Statement

The concept of utilitarianism holds the fact that such steps should be taken which attempts to provide benefits to people and the society (Vaughn, 2013) and the issue of female circumcision which consists of either partial or complete removal of genital parts is not found to be approved by the concept of utilitarianism. The ethical concept of utilitarianism favors the ability of one's being autonomous in deciding whether the proposed behavior or act is preferred by himself or not and the concept refuses to accept any notion that violates the autonomy of an individual but, the same concept also speaks for the society and its benefits. The practice of female circumcision may provide justification in the religious aspects of the society by means of chastity, purity and forbids pre-marital intercourse but this practice also violates the autonomy of individuals because the practice in which surgical procedure is involved takes place during the period when the girls are in their infancy age. The concept of utilitarianism may provide the satisfaction to society in terms of following their traditions but the practice of circumcision generates the adverse effects on the health of girls and these negative effects prevail throughout the life of these women, who have to follow the consequences of the circumcision that happened during their infancy period. Therefore, the discussed notion extremely violates the autonomy of females and does not provide any health benefits and hence, the practice fails to follow the basic concept of utilitarianism and thus, the ethical concept does not defend the act of female circumcision.

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Discussion

Advantages of Female Circumcision

The societies where the female circumcision practices are followed are practiced due to the following perspectives:

The female circumcision is practiced in the societies where the religious belief with respect to the safeguard of women's virginity is focused and due to this belief, the act of female'spartial circumcision takes place in which the circumcision procedures makes it difficult for virgin women to get involved in pre-marital intimate relationship.

The partial circumcision in female takes place because in some societies the female genital parts are considered to be impure and thus removal of these parts ensures the purity and it is also believed that the circumcision of certain skin parts related to the genitals result in the less growth of harmful bacteria and yeast.

The circumcision procedure results in the removal of clitoris i.e. genital part and due to which female exhibit less intimate desires which results in the decreased amount of adultery in the society.

Disadvantages of Female Circumcision

The disadvantages with respect to the female circumcision are discussed as follows:

The female circumcision can cause in many females infertility and increases the risk of cyst and infections in the internal organs of the body, mainly comprising of uterus, kidney and bladder infections.

The surgical procedure results in the creation of complexities during when these females give child birth and risks the lives of both, newborn and mother.

The practice of circumcision either partial or complete results in the decreased or no sense of arousal in females.

The practice of female circumcision as a part of slavery in order to refute women from child birth and prove their chastity is not considered as a moral activity and is forbidden by the court of law.

Perspective of Society That Follows the Circumcision

The practice of female circumcision is considered to be followed by many centuries in various regions of the world. According to Ruderman (2013), the practice of circumcision is followed continuously in society because of the fact that the women are considered to be pure after the surgical procedures and it is the only procedure that makes the women eligible to get married in the society. Therefore, the parents tend to follow this tradition in order to secure the future of their daughters. Moreover, the followers of the society believe that circumcision should take place before the puberty takes place in the girls so that the girl can be considered as purified in the society and can earn respect. The girls who have undergone this procedure consider this surgery as a gift and become grateful for being purified.

Perspective of Ethical Feminists

According to Slade and Prinsloo (2013), ethical concerns arise when the circumcision procedure takes place in the society because it violates the autonomy of an individual in which girls are either forced to go through the painful surgery or the surgery takes place when girls are immature, usually under the age of 7, which makes them to follow the commands of their adults and deprives them to take any preventive stand against this tradition. Moreover, the lack of proper equipment and unhygienic procedure makes the procedure crucial to follow and the negligence in the procedure can cause harmful effects on the afterlife of girls. As well as the successful surgery also does not provide any benefits to the health of girls because the surgical process causes the bladder and uterus infections and causes complexities for women while giving to birth.

Application of Ethical Theories

According to Galeotti (2007), the act of utilitarianism emphasizes on the consequences of effects that happen when someone is encountered with certain act or activities that effects that individual's life. The female circumcision effects the women life adversely because it causes the severe pain and trauma during the surgery in early childhood because the surgical procedure takes place without proper medical equipment and anesthetics and the procedure follows the negative effects on the women's medical life in short-term and as well as long-term. Moreover, this surgical practice does not provide any health benefits to the women rather than the fact that they earn respect in the society in which they belong however, the fact is not considered to be strong enough to value this notion due to the life threatening effects of circumcision on the life. Moreover, the act of utilitarianism also defies the circumcision practice because it violates the autonomy of female in which the surgical procedure takes place without the consent….....

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