Prohibited Sexual Behavior and Sexual Violence

Sexual Violence: Mutilation of Female Sex Organs: Justifications 4

Chastity
Male defenders of the practice have several arguments, some of them never openly admitted:
1. The operation will keep a woman “pure” by reducing her sexual capacity. The sensuality of women is “by nature” excessive and must be controlled for their own good. Their greatest virtue is chastity. Female sexual desire is a sign of “impurity” and immorality. Allowing females too much sexual pleasure may very well make them infertile and lead them into a life of promiscuity and prostitution. A female must remain a virgin before marriage and sexually non-demanding thereafter. This way, she will remain faithful and preserve her husband’s honor. However, she could also become “impure” by pleasuring herself. Masturbation must therefore be prevented by a timely clitoridectomy.
2. Many of the men who hold these views also believe that the various forms of mutilating female sex organs will add to their own sexual enjoyment. Thus, they see the pleasure of marital intercourse as a zero-sum game: The husband can profit only at his wife’s expense. His sexual pleasure increases, because hers is diminished.

In the final analysis, these beliefs and attitudes are rooted in patriarchal social structures. Changing them is very difficult and takes a long time.