The Fear of Female Sexuality

Despite an estimated two hundred million women around the world having undergone genital mutilation, the practice remains deeply shrouded in secrecy. Although the origins of FGM are disputed, it is clear that it finds its roots in sexism; more specifically, the notion that women are objects who exist only to satisfy the desires of men. Some suggest that it started in ancient Rome and was used on female slaves as a means of preserving their virginity, while others believe that it began in pre-societal times as a way of exerting control over female sexuality. No matter where or when it occurred, the practitioners were attempting to curb women’s sexual appetite and ensure they were not as sexually aggressive as men. FGM has been key to the oppression of women throughout history, and while many other inhumane practices have been stopped in the name of equality, FGM remains firmly ingrained in a myriad of societies across the globe

Girls are most often cut between infancy and the age of fifteen. The physical pain experienced during the procedure itself is unimaginable - and it does not stop there. Women are in severe pain for weeks afterwards, with some experiencing the physical affliction for the rest of their lives. The victims often have their legs bound together for weeks following the excision and feel an inconceivable amount of pain when urinating. FGM is also known to cause several health issues - major blood vessels can be cut during the process which leads to hemorrhage, and possibly death. The women are also exposed to a variety of potentially fatal infections, including HIV. This is due to the repeated use of contaminated instruments. This is not to mention the psychological effects that FGM can have: including affective or anxiety disorders and post traumatic stress disorder. Despite the innumerable health complications that can occur, the taboo nature of female circumcision allows it to often go unchallenged.

In some societies women’s genitalia is sewn shut, leaving only a small hole for penetration - this in an attempt to discourage them from having sex. Why is it that, for men, the purpose of sex is pleasure, but, for women, the purpose is procreation? And why is that there is such a fear around female sexuality? Nigerian activist and journalist Kemi Omololu-Olunloyo spoke about her experiences with FGM: "Calling it an operation is nothing. It was a cultural barbaric act used to decrease the female libido… I don't experience orgasm during sex and when I tried to promote the use of sex toys among Nigerian women, men started attacking me saying I was discouraging African women 'from the real thing’”. She views FGM as nothing more than a tool utilized by men to keep women under the thumb of oppression. It is used to increase women’s ‘faithfulness’ to men, as they have a decreased sex drive and it keeps them in the subordinate role in the relationship. Simply banning female circumcision has done little to remedy how deeply culturally entrenched it is in so many parts of the world. Although FGM is far less common in the West, the objectification of women and the lack of positive discourse surrounding female sexuality and female pleasure shows us that brushing it aside as a ‘foreign’ issue - a result of cultural and moral relativism - is ignorant and futile. The only way to put an end to FGM is to shift the global perception on women and to eradicate the systems that suppress them.