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Female Genital Mutilation: A Violation of Human Rights

Fisaha KG

Female genital mutilation is a term used to describe a wide range of traditional practices that involves partial or total removal of external female genital for cultural, religious and social reasons. This cultural practice is a violation of human rights of child and women. This article is, therefore, aims at argue against the practice of Female Genital Mutilation. In doing so, the paper divides into three parts. The first part will discuss about the concept, origin, types and rationales of the practice of FGM, and highlight the practice from the Ethiopian experience. The second part will also examine the tension between the Universalist and cultural relativist approaches in regards to the practice of FGM. Universalists argument is against the practice of FGM as a harmful cultural practice that violates human rights of child and women. Whereas cultural relativists are supporting for the continuity of the practice as there is no culture which can evaluate other cultural practices as moral, ethical and valid or not, and as it is performed for the sake of cleaning the vagina of girls and make them ready to marry. The third part, which is the main focus of the paper, will analyses the human rights of child and women that violates by the practice of FGM like the right health, the right equality and sexual and physical integrity. Finally, the paper will end by the concluding remarks of the writers.