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Writer's pictureXawo Soade

Perpetuating Subjugation: The Cultural and Economic Roots of Female Genital Mutilation

T.W FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM)

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is still prevalent in Africa, where women uphold the age-old tradition of circumcising their young daughters in adherence to societal norms and values. This practice stems from traditional beliefs and religion, perpetuating the subjugation of women.


This harmful tradition erases women’s agency and perpetuates a culture that ties their value as human beings to purity, submission, and compliance. Many women may think that they are protecting their daughters' future by continuing the practice, as women are often portrayed as homemakers. FGM is deeply rooted in cultures that regard women as commodities from the perspective of marriage, interconnecting with family honor, and standard of living, and illustrating how deeply sexism is ingrained.


In many African countries, FGM is practiced on daughters because it was done on their mothers, perpetuating a cycle due to cultural, social, and religious influences. The practice fails to acknowledge the physical and psychological damage meted out to the victims, continuing in the name of guarding their daughters' future.


The practice is also supported by the economic system of dowries, as women’s value is associated with purity and obedience in marriage. In many patriarchal cultures, a woman’s ability to demand a higher dowry is directly associated with her presumed purity, and FGM is seen as a way to achieve it. While dowries cannot be seen as a direct cause for FGM, they perpetuate a culture that regards a woman as merely a commodity to be sold, not for what she knows or can do, but for how saleable or marriageable she is.


By circumcising daughters, the belief is that their chances of a good marriage will be improved, reinforcing patriarchy and devaluing women. FGM is considered to make women chaste and loyal to their husbands and families while denying their right to make personal choices. By pointing to dowries and the transactional nature of marriages, FGM serves to remind the global community of the continued subjugation of women as commodities

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Eradicating FGM requires questioning the cultures that persist in objectifying women and denying them control over their bodies.


Jackie Younker is organizing a medical expedition fundraiser to help treat survivors of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Kenya.

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