STOP FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION IN THE UK

This is another petition on the Government site this time. For anyone who would like to sign. Remember the bad old days when the police did not take domestic violence seriously? This is yet another example of them avoiding a tricky issue relating to the abuse of females. There has, maybe, been too much wariness about multiculturalism and not offending minority groups. But it is estimated that every day little babies and little girls are being abused in this way, in this country.
It takes 100,000 signatures on one of these e-petitions to raise the question of whether there should be a parliamentary debate. In these days of social networking, surely this is not difficult.

epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/35313

I watched several Somalian girls and women being interviewed a couple of days ago. They claim it is their mothers and grandmothers who are perpetuating this. Somalian men living in Manchester were interviewed afterwards and all of them said they don't think this ritual should be allowed, it's the old way that women are making their daughters and grandaughters keep to. They seemed to regard it as unnecessary. Horrendous practice - it showed several examples of crude dissection and stitching, which has to be cut open to enable childbirth.

I had always beleved it was a practice men demanded, but the message from this programme was that they don't now.

All done.Knew this went on,E is of dual heritage and her father is west African,I don't know if this is practiised in sierre leone,but that could be her heritage.

Unbelievably, when I raised this issue on some other forums I have been accused of 'cultural insensitivity'. One of the aspects I find most upsetting is that it is usually the girl's mother and grandmother who insist on it. We can't do much about other countries but we sure as hell should stop it happening in our own country.

jess thanks for new link. have signed and shared on FB.

Newsnight has been covering this subject for the past couple of nights, and yes, it does seem to be that it is the older women in the family or community who keep this tradition going. Apparently they have cracked down really hard on it in France, with several prosecutions, so now girls are being brought over to this country to have it done because although it's illegal here as well, there have never been any prosecutions!
It truly is a disgrace that the government and/or police seem to be turning a blind eye to this barbaric practice.

Have signed. whenim64 is correct in saying that this horrendous practice is being perpetuated by the older women - it is carried out by them not men. The poor girls have their lives ruined by this and many die of shock and/or infection. I'm sure sterile instruments are not used. There are various degrees of mutilation the worst resulting in the husband having to 'cut' his wife on their wedding night and the woman having to have to be cut again when she gives birth.
Surely a man doesn't want his wife to dread having him near her because of the dreadful pain. It's almost as if the girls' female relatives want their daughters to suffer because they did. It takes a brave woman to refuse to let her daughter undergo this practice.

Just signed anything to stop this appalling practice. I understand it has on occasions been covertly carried out in the UK. Misogyny in some cultures is staggering.

'On occasions'!? It's going on all the time - see my post re Newsnight above!

Sorry Anagram didn't read your previous post until now, and have not watched Newsnight lately. France are right to crack down, it's utterly barbaric and the well being of these young girls should be placed above cultural customs. I for one regard a culture that wants to mutilate its female children in this manner vastly inferior to ours and I don't care who I offend by saying that.

baNANA it seems that the practice is no longer misogynstic, as explained in earler posts

We all internalise sexism and misogyny and this is an extreme example.

I think those of us who have struggled with being on the receiving end of misogyny will feel some relief to witness the change in view of those Somalian men, whose older female relatives have most likely been brain-washed into perpetuating this practice from birth. It does go back to the wishes and desires of men, but let's see whether they now support the campaign.

Also we should remember that if you had this done yourself as a child, then it may seem normal and "right" to you - this is being a "proper woman" - people rationalise what is, and tell themselves it is how things should be - uncomfortable to confront being told that it is no longer acceptable.

It is still done out of the women's belief that no man will want to marry a girl who is 'intact'. Let us hope the older women will start to believe that this is no longer true of younger men.

I guess these days (in the west) the men see porn and know what un-mutilated genitalia look like...

Done

I have given up trying to be politically correct about any culture than does not give equal rights to all its citizens. The Islamic suicide bombers were apparently promised 72 virgins in Paradise. Nobody seems to have asked what happens to the virgins after they are deflowered. It really says everything about their attitude to women.
To hell with respecting all cultures equally - some are still in the Dark Ages and the sooner they get dragged into the 21st century the better.

Greatnan so agree, but there is a great disconnect by so called liberals in their support for certain ethnic minorities and those minorities attitude towards women and gays. I believe there was an argument at a recent debate between a female journalist who writes for the Guardian and David Starkey regarding the grooming of young girls by certain members of the mainly Pakistani community. The gist of it was that David Starkey said something along the lines that Asian men that hold these disgusting attitudes towards young white women need to imbue themselves in our culture and values (sorry I'm not quoting verbatim but you get the picture) The female Guardian journalist told him he was racist for holding those views. I think some other female journalist who was also at this event then told her that she was a disgrace to her sex, if that was the case, then all I can say is good!

Sorry I think the journalist was from the Independent and not the Guardian.

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2178714/Wellcome-Trust-charity-releases-animated-film-explain-British-women-choosing-labiaplasty.html

How can we expect other cultures to listen to us when stupid women in the UK and America are having designer vaginas?

I can absolutely see why muslims in this country worry about their daughters! there are many aspects to female behaviour that cannot encourage them to give up their traditional values - rather the revers.
I think it goes back to the multiculturalism vs integration debate. Finding a balance between the two is not easy. But if the Chinese community were binding the feet of baby girls it would not be permitted. FGM is hidden and affects an area of the body that is surrounded with taboos in all cultures. After all, as I once said while giving an academic paper (surprised the audience) - C* is the worst thing you can call someone.

Ella46 I do agree that we are indeed a warped society if women feel they have to have what is referred to as "designer vaginas" but I imagine its their choice as a grown adult and not something they have foisted upon them. JessM can also see why Muslims would have reservations about the worst aspects of our society, drink, drugs and sexual promiscuity amongst the very young. I hate the way young girls are made to feel that they have to remove ALL body hair these days, to keep male partners happy, how awful to grow up having so many hangups about something that's totally natural, but that's a whole new discussion.

Not to mention the fact that they have been convinced that they should have all kinds of cosmetic treatment. Talking to a girl who works in the cafe today - she has just had braces - fair enough, her teeth are crooked. But now she is saying she "really wants veneers" so she can have very white teeth. I think that, especially as she has dark brown skin, this will be an alarming look!

You can spot those veneers a mile off, especially on the TV, can't you? They don't look natural at all in a lot of cases - you practically need sunglasses to look at them!