Women's Views on News |
| Worldwide: the horror of Female Genital Mutilation Posted: 23 Nov 2012 06:00 AM PST
Guest post by Plan UK. More than 100 million girls and women around the world have endured some type of female genital mutilation (FGM), according to the World Health Organization. It is estimated that more than two million females undergo FGM each year. The largest percentage of FGM takes place in Africa. In Somalia, one in every 100 women giving birth dies due to FGM. Although illegal in Egypt, 91 percent of women aged 15-49 have been subject to FGM. What is Female Genital Mutilation? FGM is when part or all of a woman’s external female genitalia are removed or purposely altered or injured for non-medical reasons. Although sometimes referred to as “female circumcision,” the procedure is far more involved [than male circumcision], can be crudely carried out, and carries lifelong health and psychological complications. There are four main types of FGM: 1. The retractable piece of skin covering part of the clitoris is removed. 2. The clitoris and some or all of the labia minora are removed. 3. Part or all of the external genitalia is removed and the vaginal opening is stitched. 4. Piercing, cutting, or stretching the clitoris and/or labia; burning the clitoris and surrounding tissue; scraping tissue around the vaginal opening; cutting the vagina; using corrosive substances or herbs in the vagina to cause it to bleed, narrow, or tighten. FGM is often performed by laypersons without proper medical equipment or support. Health Risks of Female Genital Mutilation FGM is often carried out in unsanitary and unsafe conditions, resulting in a host of medical problems, including: - hemorrhage - shock - pelvic infection - recurring vaginal and urinary tract infections - painful intercourse - infertility - difficult childbirth, maternal and fetal death during childbirth - lifelong disability - death due to complications of FGM Why Does Female Genital Mutilation Persist? Some cultures view FGM as a religious requirement or as necessary to secure a girl’s prospects for marriage. The practice is sometimes done for “hygienic” reasons, or as a way to ensure virginity and preserve a perceived feminine ideal. In cultures where women are held in low regard, FGM is a way to make sexual relations less enjoyable, thereby reducing the odds of premarital and extramarital sex. In some places, societal pressure is strong enough to overcome the objections of parents who do not wish to subject their daughters to FGM. Safeguarding Children FGM is illegal in the UK and a growing number of countries around the world. It is also illegal to take a child out of the UK to have the procedure performed elsewhere. Fear and anxiety about an upcoming trip out of the country, especially when her family belongs to a cultural group known for FGM, may signal a girl at risk for FGM. Local and national child protection authorities should be notified of suspected cases of FGM. Education is key to keeping girls safe from this cruel procedure – education of the general public and of girls, who may be unaware of the lifelong implications of FGM. It is essential that midwives and medical professionals learn how to care for girls and women at risk of FGM, and for those who have had already the procedure. Plan UK works with community and religious authorities to build awareness about the risks of FGM, and to provide education and support to girls and women who are living with the consequences of FGM. Even where FGM is the cultural norm, it is a clear violation of girls’ bodies and of the basic human right to control one’s own body and one’s own life. For more information and to find out what you can do to help, click here.  |
| A positive start for pro-choice campaign Posted: 23 Nov 2012 02:22 AM PST
Billboards with the question ‘What do you call a woman who has had an abortion?’ and the answer: ’Mother. Daughter. Sister. Friend. Abortion.’ and the slogan ‘No more names’ were placed across London, in King's Cross, London Bridge, Waterloo, Marylebone and Victoria stations. Social media was utilised to get the message across – with the hashtag #NoMoreNames to be used by women to share their experiences and opinions on abortion, and around one million e-mails were sent to people across the country. BPAS is the UK’s largest abortion provider. The campaign came as a response to anti-choice arguments such as those from health secretary Jeremy Hunt and home secretary Theresa May – which Labour MP Diane Abbot deemed ‘about politics not medicine’. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists labelled the health secretary’s intervention ‘insulting to women’. The BPAS campaign also came at a time when protests at the UK’s abortion clinics appear to be on the increase, as well as the targetting of UK universities by groups such as Abort67. Abort 67 appears to think the young more likely to have abortions due to casual sex. The facts, as the No More Names campaign demonstrates, contradict this. BPAS figures show that in the last year nearly twice as many women over 35 had abortions as women under 18. They also show that more than half of the women who have abortions are already mothers and the majority – 65 per cent – are in relationships or married at the time. And as Ann Furedi, BPAS chief executive, pointed out: ’unwanted pregnancy affects women of all ages, in all sorts of circumstances.’ Katherine O’Brien, of BPAS, told WVoN that the campaign was important because ‘despite the fact that one in three women will have an abortion in Britain, stereotypes and stigma still prevail.’ She added: ‘Women who have had an abortion are sometimes judged as being selfish, immoral, reckless or irresponsible.’ Though the advertisements are funded by private donations, a Telegraph article attacked the charity for its actions as a tax-payer funded organisation. The article also featured an attack from the anti-abortion group, the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children. However, BPAS reassured WVoN that this has been the only negative response from the press. I asked BPAS what kind of response they had recieved from the public. So far, they say, it has been overwhelmingly positive. ‘This is the first ever advocacy campaign supporting a woman's right to choose and we did not know what to expect. ‘However, we have been overwhelmed by the support from members of the public. Via emails, Twitter and Facebook people have been sharing their support for the campaign and for women.’ Earlier this week Maria Miller, Minister for Women, told Radio 4′s Women’s Hour that she supported a reduction in the abortion time limit. She told the BBC: ’I want to make sure that the law keeps pace with people's views on this issue.’ If the BPAS campaign is anything to go by, Maria Miller’s views are not in line with the public at all. The campaign has therefore served to combat not just myths and stereotypes surrounding abortion. At a time when the pro-choice movement faces a bombardment of attacks this BPAS campaign is a welcome break from bad news.  |
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