The Female Circumcision Controversy

Abstract

Female circumcision is a highly contested "tradition" practiced in many parts of the world, particularly Africa. International human rights campaigns refer to the practice as "female genital mutilation" (FGM) and seek to elim­inate it; its practitioners tend to defend it even after it has been declared ille­gal. Within this charged environment, Ellen Gruenbaum has undertaken the difficult task of examining the controversy from a more culturally sensitive perspective based on her years of fieldwork in Sudan. In many respects, her attempt to present the issue's multiple sides is successful. Using ethnographic description, she explores the range of fac­tors giving this practice its importance, from socioeconomic to aesthetic, while also suggesting why and how there are more appropriate means to alter, reduce, and eradicate the practice. In accordance with her list of influencing factors, Gruenbaum themat­ically divides her chapters into such sections as "patriarchy," "marriage and morality," and "ethnicity." However, the ethnographic passages within are crucial to the book, because they show the humanity of those involved and help explain the contexts and circumstances of women's lives outside their objectified status as "victims of tradition." Also noteworthy is her support of advocacy for change, using ethnography to promote activism that is sen­sitive to and respectful of the needs of those affected. She repeatedly emphasizes the need to address poverty and women's basic needs as more effective means to move forward, rather than focusing on circumcision in isolation ...