“They used a crude penknife, it was so painful. I bled excessively for two days and fainted when I wanted to walk.”
-Turay at the age of 11.
The female genital mutilation severely violates women rights. Unlike, Muslims who coerce women circumcision for religious beliefs, women in African countries including Sierra Leone suffers from genital mutilation with no particular reason; people in Sierra Leone execute women circumcision only to follow their traditional beliefs. The female circumcision is executed for girls as young as 8 months. The whole purpose of the female circumcision is to clearly amputate clitoris. One of the victims of genital mutilation says she was forced to be circumcised twice, because her first circumcision was not properly done. The elders in Sierra Leone seems to justify female circumcision, alleging that women who are not circumcised are detested by their husband due to their 'smell'.
Unlike, male circumcision, female genital mutilation does not benefit women whatsoever. In fact, it only worsens women's health condition as well as psychological condition. Even though postwar women in Sierra Leone strive to extend their rights, female genital mutilation seems to be left prevalent due to people's desire to uphold their traditions after the treacherous civil war. Rugiatu Turay, one of the victims of severe female genital mutilation suggests education of women as a solution to this issue: “Educating people is empowering them. It is only through their minds that you can change the attitude of people” The women's literacy rate in Sierra Leone is as low as 18%; it does not seem to improve as much, due to the civil war which utterly damaged educational system in Sierra Leone.
From lower wages to female mutilation, women around the globe suffers from various injustice. At first, I thought women rights in Sierra Leone must be improving, but now I am not so sure anymore. Even though, women seems to be perpetuating their roles in politics and economy, they still suffer from circumcision that is upheld by people in the name of 'tradition'. Should this tradition be nullified? Do we have rights to interfere in altering other countries' amoral traditional beliefs?
-Turay at the age of 11.
The female genital mutilation severely violates women rights. Unlike, Muslims who coerce women circumcision for religious beliefs, women in African countries including Sierra Leone suffers from genital mutilation with no particular reason; people in Sierra Leone execute women circumcision only to follow their traditional beliefs. The female circumcision is executed for girls as young as 8 months. The whole purpose of the female circumcision is to clearly amputate clitoris. One of the victims of genital mutilation says she was forced to be circumcised twice, because her first circumcision was not properly done. The elders in Sierra Leone seems to justify female circumcision, alleging that women who are not circumcised are detested by their husband due to their 'smell'.
Unlike, male circumcision, female genital mutilation does not benefit women whatsoever. In fact, it only worsens women's health condition as well as psychological condition. Even though postwar women in Sierra Leone strive to extend their rights, female genital mutilation seems to be left prevalent due to people's desire to uphold their traditions after the treacherous civil war. Rugiatu Turay, one of the victims of severe female genital mutilation suggests education of women as a solution to this issue: “Educating people is empowering them. It is only through their minds that you can change the attitude of people” The women's literacy rate in Sierra Leone is as low as 18%; it does not seem to improve as much, due to the civil war which utterly damaged educational system in Sierra Leone.
From lower wages to female mutilation, women around the globe suffers from various injustice. At first, I thought women rights in Sierra Leone must be improving, but now I am not so sure anymore. Even though, women seems to be perpetuating their roles in politics and economy, they still suffer from circumcision that is upheld by people in the name of 'tradition'. Should this tradition be nullified? Do we have rights to interfere in altering other countries' amoral traditional beliefs?
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