[TYPE THE COMPANY NAME]

Hurdles in implementing and

defending human rights policies
against genital mutilation of females
in Egypt
Course : ______________
XYZ
[Pick the date]

Every 10 seconds, somewhere in the world, a little girl is a victim of genital

mutilation. Three million girls are excised every year (Inter-Parliamentary Union,
2009)
Customs hold immense power over us. Where some cultural traditions and norms
mayenshrine the hard-won wisdom of our predecessors,others can trap us in history.
Today, many customs continue to be a part of our lives despite the knowledge of
their adverse health effects - Female Genital Mutilation is one such custom. It stirs
debate not only over gender equality, but also on the human rights and cultural
autonomy of the states that practice it. Since 1970s, FGM has led to the
mobilization of the international community and its eradication today is an
international goal. (Boyle, 2005)
FGM has been practiced in Egypt for centuries. For an Egyptian woman to be pure
and marriageable,her genitals must be cut at a very young age, say around the
age of 10. (Althaus, 1997) Some are mutilated as toddlers, while others as they
reach puberty. Women and girls have little say against this detrimental rite of
passage, as it is their parents who make this decision for them. Religious leaders
and the local community actively lend support so much so, that many men refuse
to marry women who have not been circumcised.
Genital mutilation can be broadly defined into three categories- Each more horrific
than the last. The first type known as clitoridectomy, the complete clitoris or a part
of it is removed. Excision, the second category is a more painful procedure where
labia majora is cut away along with the clitoris. The raw surface is then held
together by tying up the females legs or stitching the wound so that the naturally
reconstructed vaginal orfice is narrowed to the mere thickness of a matchstick.
(Althaus, 1997, para. 2)

FGM is still widely prevalent and continues to be a horrific yet ritualized type of child
sexual abuse and a violation against females and their rights. According to
International Business Times, an estimated 92% of married women in Egypt have
suffered from this cruelty as per the survey conducted by the Ministry of Health in

Egypt. (Masi, 2015) The number has declined since 2000, but it is still alarmingly
high if you take into consideration that FGM was labeled a crime Egypt in 2008.
Moreover, a 2013 UNICEF report claimed that Egypt has the highest number of
females who had FGM a staggering 27.2 million. (UNDP, 2014)

What makes this practice worse is that it is FGM is generally performed without the
use of anesthetic, by people with religious or cultural social acceptance, but no
knowledge of the human anatomy. This means that female circumcision can have
long-term health consequences such as severe pain in urinating, sex, and childbirth,
and the likelihood of chronic infections, psychological trauma and at worst, death.
Despite these grave risks, it is overlooked by practitioners. It must also be
established that there are no documented health benefits of FGM to date.
Numerous human rights policies have been formulated and executed such as The
Girl Child Resolution, The Addis Ababa Declaration on Violence against Women and
many others. FGM practices continue threatening womens health and wellbeing
globally. This is because developing solid legal frameworks is only a part of the job;
the enforcement of these laws is just as important. According to UNFPA, the rate of
Egyptian women undergoing circumcision is so high that if FGM is eradicated from
Egypt, one-fourth of the worlds FGM cases worldwide would solve.
It should be realized that although Egypt has actively sought and received
participation of human rights acts and treaties that strictly forbid and condemn
female genital mutilation, the problem runs much deeper to the grass root level of
the society. To name a few of these treaties and conventions, Egypt is an active
member of Convention on the Rights of Child, Inhuman or degrading Treatment or
Punishment(CAT). A recently released statement from the two giants of human
rights in the international scenario, UNICEF and UNFPA, appealed to the Egyptian
authorities and urged them to put renewed effort into liberating the region of this
issue. (Equality Now, 2013)
One of the primary reasons for theineffectiveness in the implementation of human
rights policies failure is the traditions and misconceptions entrenched in the minds
of Egyptians. These ancient traditions are very hard to overcome because of the

difficulty in explaining the people who have been practicing FGM, without asking
any questions. It is widely accepted by the society as a whole and anyone who does
not obey the norm is treated as an outcast and faces severe condemnation of the
community.
Moreover, practices like FGM demonstrate societys control over women an
authority that is not easy to give up, and has inevitable of solidifying and making
concrete roles that harm women and give rise to inequality.As such, Female Genetic
Mutilation is a accepted and cherished social norm that is controlled by sanctions
which serve as a powerful force for continuing the practice. Families, even if aware
and skeptical of the procedure are forced to follow it as they see societal
condemnation to be a much bigger disadvantage. (UNICEF, 2005).
A vast majority of Egyptians are of the misconception that if they do not circumcise
their women, they will grow up to be sex-obsessed individuals.This belief is
supported and actively promoted by community and religious leaders and FGM is
seen as an effective method to control the expected insatiability of females if their
clitoris is not removed. These psychosexual reasons are nothing but myths, but they
are believed to ensure the pureness and virginity of a female, as well as contribute
to heightened male pleasure during sexual intercourse. Common belief states that
FGM makes girls clean and beautiful. (World Health Organization, 2008) Genitals
such as the clitoris are considered masculine, and they need to be eliminated and
infibulated to achieve smoothness considered being beautiful. An important point to
establish here is that as long Egyptian men continue their exclusive demand for a
infibulated virgin bride, mothers will continue to practice it, and the system will
prevail.
Misconceptions like these indicate the intellect level of common people in Egypt,
and this can be attributed to low levels of education in the country. According to the
World Health Bulletin in 2008, the lower the level of education of the girls parents,
the higher were the chances of genital cutting. Uneducated parents fail to realize
the importance of the rights of their daughters and the physical and psychological
harm they inflict on them. The need of the hour is to organize educational sessions
that do not only educate by bring to the participants a forum where they can
discuss their experiences, share their deepest feelings and contrasting views and
believes on the practice of FGM. This empowerment through education will enable
population to reassess existing set of beliefs in relation with the practice. Moreover

through community-based educational activities and promotion through mass media

such as dramas, public personalities, and local radio will increase awareness
amongst people and make them more acceptable towards human rights policies
and shun away FGM.
However, no law or policy can make an impact unless the local community and the
general mass is on board. It is imperative that communities are mobilized, and
awareness campaigns by community leaders are regularly executed to create a
forum that will pressurize the community to shatter the false connotations and the
government to impose human rights laws. The mobilization will comprise of active
young volunteers, preferably male, who can create a new culture by emphasizing
that circumcised girls are no longer preferred or acceptable. Today, the practice
prevails because men fail to convey the right message that circumcision does not
make girls marriageable.
Religious misconceptions also play a crucial role in aggravating this human rights
violation. FGM is not sanctioned by Islam, Christianity or any other religion and yet
supposed religious doctrines are used to justify the practice. The origins of this
practice can be traced far before the origin of either chrsitianity or islam. The role of
religious leaders varies, but no matter what their beliefs, they play an important
role in influencing the decisions of their respective communities. Those who support
the practice usually call it a part of religion and in doing so view any efforts
eliminate the practice as an offense to religion. Religious leaders who are against
FGM others participate and support the efforts to eliminate the practice. Many
activists somehow link FGM to Islam, but it must be understood that a minority of
Muslim groups practice it as well as several non Muslim groups for similar cultural
reasons. The poorest and uneducated Egyptians follow religious leaders devoutly,
many for whom these leaders serve as the primary and only source of knowledge
andwhose propositions in favor of FGM ensures that the practice continues. Even
educated scholars of Al-Azhar, like Professor Abdel GhaffarHelal, says that while
FGM is not an obligation in Islam, it is also not prohibited and is in fact,
recommended. The problem is not in the practice, but in the fact that those who
perform it are not qualified and harm girls during circumcision. (The Guardian,
2015)
According to the Demographic Health Survey, thirty percent of the women in Egypt
believe that FGM should be banned. However, more than half said they were in

favor of the practice as it was in accordance with the norms and traditions that are
thought to be supported but not mandated by religion. (Masi, 2015) This is because
FGM is considered to be a part of puberty rituals important if the girls are to become
proper adults and join the society as responsible members. As a consequence, girls
themselves have the wish to receive the procedure. The societal pressure exerted
by peers and the fear of stigmatization if they abandon the tradition is also a
contributing factor. Girls are coaxed into undergoing the procedure and are then
rewarded for their pains through celebrations, public recognition, and gifts.
Therefore, girls and women have thoroughly internalized female genital mutilation
as an integral part of their cultural, one that imparts a sense of pride, a feeling of
community membership and belonging and the responsibilities and authorities
associated with coming-of-age. The circumcised women are the only type men will
be eager to marry lures the girls towards FGM. The aspiration for a lasting marriage,
an essential for social and economic security inaddition to measuring up to the
standards of womanhood, can be blamed for the unwavering persistence of Female
Genital Mutilation. This is unfortunate because if the victim herself gives in to the
practice then there is little that human rights policies can do for them. First they
need to be enlightened of their rights and liberties and to convince them that FGM
is nothing but a human rights violation.
Furthermore, there is the issue of lucrative incomes that this practice brings for the
doctors who continued to conduct genital mutilation surgeries against being
officially banned from performing them in governmental and non-governmental
hospitals by the Ministry of Health, in 2007. In 2008, Female Genital Mutilation was
criminalized in Egypt. Despite this action, the medicalization of FGM is rising with an
estimated 72% of the procedures being performed by private doctors in clinics.
Conducting FGM is punishable by law and the penalties range from three to two
years in prison or a fine of up to 5,000 Egyptian pounds.
Although several doctors have refused to perform the procedure for fear of
persecution, this is a small number. The greater proportion of doctors continue to
perform FGM and violate girls and womens right to life, the right to health and right
to physical integrity. Also, they are also violating the fundamental medical ethic to
Do No Harm. Medical personnel in the country are frequently observed to

incorrectly legitimize the practice as medically safe and sound and even beneficial
for the girls health. In a country where medical personnel often hold power,
authority and respect in society, it further institutionalizes this procedure. (UNFPA,
2010)
Despite numerous development efforts by NGOs and international institutions, the
prevalence of FGM is still at an unacceptable level with a severe lack of
accountability for violations experienced by girls and women. Globally, nations have
acknowledged FGM as a violation of human rights but this acknowledgment has
failed to result in the adoption of necessary solutions that are sustainable and
meaningful, and which would lead to the eradication of this practice. The need of
the hour is to strengthen the system if the policies are to achieve some fruit in the
country. There is a dire need to develop the capacity of legal, gender, judicial and
social development personnel. Moreover, this strengthening has to be based on a
multi-sectorial sustained model of prevention, protection, provision of care,
punishments and reparations. This can assist in the implementation of the human
rights policies in Egypt. Besides building system capacity, the Egyptian government
also needs to implement stronger enforcement mechanisms for its legislation. The
human rights protection system is endemically weak, lacks adequate finances and
technical and human resources to fulfill their mandates. If any human rights policy
is to be effectively enforced, a strong national mechanism would have to be set in
place first. The mechanism refers to an effective governmental coordinating body,
independent human rights institutions, an efficient law enforcement system and an
impartial judiciary. National laws need to be regulated, and FGM needs to be
reported more effectively. Moreover, citizens need to be educated about
international human rights standards, national legislation, policy, and laws.
Implementation of international human rights has also lacked because of the
insufficient resources that were allocated towards their enforcement. So far, the
Egyptian government has strongly relied on aid and assistance from the
international community. However, state governments are responsible for
reinforcing institutional frameworks and must heavily invest in the development,
implementation and enforcement of laws on FGM.

Lastly, politics will play a crucial role at the national, regional and community level.
If leaders are unengaged and there is little or no political support to support the
cause, it is almost impossible for an international human rights framework to have
an impact. Political will shall continue to serve as the driving factor in accelerating
and sustaining efforts to eradicate Female Genital Mutilation.
In conclusion, it should be clear that every child, regardless of their gender, should
be defended against any harm from anyone, in any given setting at any given time.
Women and girls should not only be viewed as victims, but also as agents of
changewho can stand against this violent practice and eradicate it completely.
Ending FGM will require intensive and persistent collaborative efforts from all
members of society, including individual families media, religious and political
leaders, governments as well as the global community.
However, the role of opposition to this custom cannot be undermined. Having crept
into the peoples lives through staunch traditionalism and blind following, it is less
than reasonable to believe that the said society will be acceptant, let alone eager to
embrace the relevant human rights. It can be said with confidence; however, that
Female genital mutilation cannot be tolerated and is an abomination of the human
rights act itself. Constituting over 50% of Egypts population, the genital mutilation
can be viewed as serious oppression of Egypts majority and should be treated as
such. Through politically pressurizing the Egyptian government or through levying
trade sanctions, conditions should be created which make the government want to
actively find a problem to this abhorring trend.

References
MASI, A. (2015) Female Genital Mutilation In Egypt Has Affected 92 Percent Of
Married Women. The International Business Times.[Online].11 th May. Available
from :http://www.ibtimes.com/ [Accessed : 30 May 2015]
KINGSLEY, P. (2015) Doctor jailed after Egypts first FGM conviction. The Guardian.
[Online]. 26th January. Available from: http://www.theguardian.com/ [Accessed: 30
May 2015]
FARID, S. (2015) The challenges of tackling female genital mutilation in Egypt. Al
Arabiya News. [Online]. 3rd February. Available from: http://english.alarabiya.net/
[Accessed: 30 May 2015]
JOHNSSON, A. (2009) How to put an end to the practice of female genital mutilation
(FGM)? International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM),
Geneva, 6th February 2008.
UN WOMEN. Sources of international human rights law on Female Genital Mutilation.
[Online] Available from: http://www.endvawnow.org/ [Accessed: 31st May 2015]
ALTHAUS, F. (1997) Female Circumcision: Rite of Passage or Violation of Rights?
Library Review.[Online] 23 (3). Available from: http://www.guttmacher.org/
[Accessed : 30th May 2015]
UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND.(2010)Female genital mutilation (FGM)
frequently asked questions. [Online] April 2010. Available from:
http://www.unfpa.org/ [Accessed 31st May 2015]
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION.(2008)Eliminating Female genital
mutilation.Interagency statement. [Online] Available from: http://www.un.org/
[Accessed 31st May 2015]
BOYLE, E. (2005) Female Genital Cutting: Cultural Conflict in the Global
Community.JHU Press.
UNDP.(2014) Combatting Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt. [Online] Available
from: http://www.undp.org/ [Accessed from: 31st May 2015]