Female Circumcision and Ethics
The female circumcision practices are found to be followed by a number of regions and tribes in the world where this practice is considered to purify and provide health benefits to the females of that particular society. However, this practice is considered to be immoral and unethical by the ethical feminist and clinical experts who imply that female circumcision practices violate the autonomy of an individual and, cause mental and physical trauma in the early childhood and generates negative health related concerns in females.
Advantages of Female Circumcision
Disadvantages of Female Circumcision
Perspective of Society That Follows the Circumcision
Perspective of Ethical Feminists
Application of Ethical Theories
Conclusion
Summary
Practical Implications and Recommendations
REFERENCES
Introduction
The feminist ethical concerns arise when the female members of the society are abused with the mutual consent of their families and members of the society (Vaughn, 2013). Female circumcision, as a matter of fact prevails in the society in which traditional surgical procedures are followed with or without the supervision of surgeon in which the genital parts of the female body are circumcised and this procedure is considered to be a part of ritual, followed by a large number of communities (Lane & Rubinstein, 1996). The traces of female circumcision have been found in the ancient Egyptian Kingdom and Roman Kingdom starting from 500 BCE and since then, this practice has been found to be prominent in the various sectors of the world in order to ensure women's chastity. The tradition was followed till the 18th century where the clinical surgeries were operated in order to perform the surgical procedure where it was believed that the excessive genital parts of female body are responsible to cause fits, mania, mental dissatisfaction and these antecedents cause death. In 1920's, the issue was addressed by the Doctor's Society in Egypt but it failed to attract the attention of concerned authorities in order to refrain the practices related to female circumcision (Wasuna, 2000). However, this practice is still found to be followed in certain regions of the world, mainly comprising of India, Egypt, Sudan and Africa. The female circumcision practices are exalted with the strong belief of aesthetic, sociological and religious reasons where the circumcision procedure takes place in secrecy and with the mutual consent of females and their families. According to WHO (2014), there exists 125 million young girls from 29 countries who have undergone with the procedure of circumcision since infancy and till the age of 15 and this surgical procedure has implied health hazards on the lives of these girls. The procedure of circumcision takes places in the girls before their puberty and the procedure is operated without the proper medical equipment and clinical practices which causes mental and physical trauma on the young girls who face the surgery.Moreover, the long-term health effects of female circumcision are also not foreseen by the clinical experts and are needed to be addressed with respect to the feminist ethics.
Thesis Statement
The concept of utilitarianism holds the fact that such steps should be taken which attempts to provide benefits to people and the society (Vaughn, 2013) and the issue of female circumcision which consists of either partial or complete removal of genital parts is not found to be approved by the concept of utilitarianism. The ethical concept of utilitarianism favors the ability of one's being autonomous in deciding whether the proposed behavior or act is preferred by himself or not and the concept refuses to accept any notion that violates the autonomy of an individual but, the same concept also speaks for the society and its benefits. The practice of female circumcision may provide justification in the religious aspects of the society by means of chastity, purity and forbids pre-marital intercourse but this practice also violates the autonomy of individuals because the practice in which surgical procedure is involved takes place during the period when the girls are in their infancy age. The concept of utilitarianism may provide the satisfaction to society in terms of following their traditions but the practice of circumcision generates the adverse effects on the health of girls and these negative effects prevail throughout the life of these women, who have to follow the consequences of the circumcision that happened during their infancy period. Therefore, the discussed notion extremely violates the autonomy of females and does not provide any health benefits and hence, the practice fails to follow the basic concept of utilitarianism and thus, the ethical concept does not defend the act of female circumcision.
Discussion
Advantages...
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