Expert discusses culture of female circumcision

A seemingly moderate voice among the cries of Western shock and outrage, anthropologist Ellen Gruenbaum has devoted several years of her life to understanding the practice of female circumcision and confronting the failure of international efforts to end it.

In Friday's talk, "Female Circumcision: Controversy and the Process of Change," Gruenbaum spoke about her experiences in Sudan observing female circumcisions and speaking to parents, women, doctors and midwives there about the problem.

More commonly known as female genital mutilation, she explained that female circumcision is predominately practiced in Sub-Saharan Africa and affects over two million young girls a year.

In her discussion, Gruenbaum specifically avoided quoting statistics and making generalizations. She stressed that it is difficult to compile accurate data on circumcision because it exists in a variety of forms and degrees.

"I think you have to be very careful," Gruenbaum said, "not to generalize about who does it, how they do it and where they live."

However, in an effort to improve data collection, the World Health Organization has recently instituted a system to classify the severity of circumcisions into four types.

The four categories range from the partial or total removal of clitoris and clitoral tissue to the removal of all external genitalia -- making urination and menstruation difficult for these women.

Although the description of such procedures is unsettling to many Westerners, Gruenbaum described the affair as "a major social event" and a "rite of passage" in many villages.

But concerning human rights and health risks for women, Gruenbaum warned that society must have "respect for the difficulty of the decision that people face when they try to change cultural traditions."

In fact, the focus of Gruenbaum's work is to answer this question -- "How can loving parents choose to do this?"

Contrary to the popular Western belief that female circumcision is aimed at destroying a woman's sexual pleasure, Gruenbaum insisted that it "is not their intent to harm their daughters."

"When I was with Sudanese women, when they would hear the term FGM, they often got very angry," she added.

Those hesitant to circumcise their daughters worry about her future prospects, asking the questions, "How else will she become a proper woman? How will she become marriageable?" Gruenbaum said.

But she remained optimistic.

"Between the changes in the international community and the efforts of educated people to start looking at life differently," Gruenbaum said, "it may change pretty quickly."

Responding to Gruenbaum's points, Nursing School Dean Afaf Meleis said, "I think that only a woman who was an anthropologist could present vaginal mutilation with a smile on her face," adding, "I think that the Sudanese women would appreciate that."

Meleis largely agreed with Gruenbaum's perspective, but also stressed how living conditions in Sudan affect the attitude of many and inhibit change.

"Let's talk about putting some food on the table for our children and some education for us before we start talking about sexuality," she said.

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