Prohibited Sexual Behavior and Sexual Violence

Sexual Violence: Mutilation of Female Sex Organs: Justifications 2

Scholars of ethnology, mythology, and ancient history have speculated about the original meaning of sexual mutilations and have developed some intriguing theories. For example: In some prehistoric religions, only the gods were allowed to possess both female and male powers, and they did not want human beings to compete with them. Thus, mortal males needed to sacrifice their “female” element which resided in their penile foreskin, and females had to excise their “male” element residing in the clitoris. These and other fascinating speculations, however, go beyond the scope of this course. Here, we concentrate on a few practical modern arguments.

Tradition
Most women who defend the practice of sexual mutilation point to the role of tradition. Violating this tradition would make them social outcasts. The operation is a symbol of initiation into the community, and it is usually accompanied by elaborate rituals and ceremonies. In short, it is an established part of a girl’s preparation for her future role as a wife and mother. A girl rejecting the initiation would thereby also reject this role -  an act that would amount to social suicide in some societies. In any case, the pressure to conform is felt not only by the girls themselves, but also by their parents.
This pressure can be lifted only by helping the entire community to reform its traditions.