I was in fact delighted to see this headline on Yahoo.com this morning:

 ”Egypt Permanently Bans All Female Circumcision”

check out the accompanying article here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070628/wl_africa_afp/egyptwomencircumcision

 Female circumcision has always been a difficult issue. Depending on the geographic area and the culture it can be applied to the physical removal of the clitoris, outer labia or both.

Besides the fact that these operations are often intended to keep women faithful to their husbands by removing their ability to orgasm or enjoy sex, they are also frequently done in really unsafe/unsterile areas using everything from broken glass to pen knives.

One of the most difficult aspects of this problem has been the social/cultural component. In many cultures that practice female circumcision, it is a female-oriented ritual where mothers, grandmothers, and other female members of the community are involved and responsible for planning the operation. There are women all over the world who are taking a stand and refusing to circumcise their daughters, but it is a long struggle that goes against a very long tradition and will continue to be an uphill battle.

In Egypt’s case, this new law was the result of the tragic death of a 12 year old girl. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for many of these operations to result in various health issues and serious infections that can lead to sterility or death.

Hopefully other countries throughout Africa and the Middle East (where most of these operations occur) will follow their lead!

To learn more about female circumcision, its cultural impact, and what people are trying to do to stop it, check out this article:

 http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/2313097.html

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