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Circumcision In Africa

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It is the complete or partial surgical removal of the clitoris from a woman and has a highly spiritual and cultural significance in many African communities and is required for cultural identity (Kanogo, 2005). In the beliefs of the indigenous communities, cliterodectomy was directly bonded with marriageablilty, procreation, ethnic purity and access to land and thus it meant being socially accepted by community. The missionaries, colonial government and the Kikuyu Central Association (KCA) became very involved in this major controversy: whether or not female circumcision should be allowed to continue in Kenya (Kanogo, 2005). Many women challenged these views and partook in the initiation process. Therefore in this essay I shall be discussing …show more content…

It was a rite of passage that determined right from wrong, and insiders from outsiders. With colonialism, new religions and beliefs were brought into Kenya such as the Protestant religion. This caused major controversies in Kenya (Kanogo, 2005). The people who resisted the cliterodectomy risked social outcast and they would become “Kavirondo”, a term meaning the other. The “kavirondo” would be spatially and subconsciously removed from their rural homes (Kanogo, 2005). During the colonial expansion of Britain, African bodies and their sexualities became a central focus for justifying the main reasons for the British colonialism, which were to civilize what they thought as “Barbarian” communities of Kenya among many other countries of Africa. They believed that the Africans were primitive and therefore were disgraced compared to the conservative ‘sexual normality’ of European women such as the Victorians. Victorian women were expected to hide their sexuality and be reserved and thus they tried to control the “barbaric” women of Africa by illegalizing cliterodectomy as it was not what they saw as correct behavior. Colonial missionaries created the idea that cliterodectomy was wrong. Agnes Wairimu Hinga challenged these belief systems which were also held by her family of a Protestant faith by joining in on the traditional practice of cliterodectomy. …show more content…

It was highly spiritual and cultural but when the British Empire colonized Kenya they illegalized this sacred practice as they thought it was immoral and not what they perceived women to do, compared to their dainty and conservative Victorian women. Some Kenyan women followed their families and changed to follow the colonial beliefs and laws but many young women went through with the initiation such as Agnes. Her affiliation to conform to tradition and secure her social standing not only defied her family’s loyalty but caused her to defy ‘her’ faith. Gender, generational and colonial conventions were broken with her choice to take part in the tradition of cliterodectomy. The Meru girls as well as many others defied their parents, family and colonial laws in order to partake in their decision to practice cliterodectomy and therefore there have been many ways in which young women challenged gender, generational and colonial authority over the practice of cliterodectomy in colonial

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Similarly also, African ladies were seen as indiscriminate by Europeans. This sexual abnormality was viewed as improper and hence savage as it was not the route for European ladies, it was not viewed as humanized. In their way of life this was ordinary; in any case, to European guys it dumbfounded and from multiple points of view most likely threatened them. They didn't know by what other method to see this gathered unethical behavior and absence of agony in labor, yet through the viewpoint of religious content. It was then that Eve was utilized as an indicator of what all ladies ought to resemble.

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Throughout time diverse regions have considered other societies to be barbaric, causing them to have the desire of “civilizing” them. Many individuals accept the rule of a higher and civilized region as they believe that their alterations will benefit them. Although, by enabling a higher power to acquire authority in another foreign nation, will diminish that regions culture and individuals will not truly possess respect, ultimately causing them to rebel against that foreign power after they comprehend their true nature. Likewise, after the Berlin Conference, which set certain rules for the partition of Africa, numerous European powers desired in colonizing Africa and obtaining control during the early 1800s, which was known as the Scramble

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They were assumed to be promiscuous and indiscriminate in choice of sexual partner and likely to be prostitutes. The British “control” of prostitution also required women to register officially as prostitutes and undergo regular examinations to make sure that they did not have venereal diseases . The practice in which the policy reinforced, were not to help the female population but to benefit the white male population. The British believed that if female prostitutes failed to get checked for venereal diseases, it would weaken the “race,” which would interfere with the British reign for power

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Ironically, though white perspective was considered repressed, sexual duties and childbearing were of primary importance to white men as they were inexplicably drawn to the ‘exotic charms’ of African womanhood and beauty. Early modern English writers did conventionally set the black female figure against one that was white—and thus beautiful. They were particularly intrigued by tawny appearances of the African Women.1 In June 1647, Englishman Richard Ligon recorded the physical appearance of a black woman he encountered in his True and Exact History of Barbadoes: “she was a Negro of the greatest beauty and majesty together: that ever I saw in one woman. Her stature large, and excellently shap’d, well favour’d, full eye’d, and admirably grac’d . . . was with far greater Majesty and gracefulness, than I have seen Queen Anne, descend from the Chaire of State.”

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The organization had completed a list of Native women’s reproductive rights, thus providing specific principles they believe are fundamental for every woman. Such as number 10 which states “The right to stop coerced sterilization” (Smith, 105). For Native women, their ability to give birth to the next generation of their people is continuously seen as an obstacle in obtaining their land and resources in the eyes of the government. Unfortunately, that involved unwilling sterilization of a large percentage of child bearing aged women, thus diminishing the population.

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931 Words | 4 Pages

They want to become a lover of white man. Because of their blackness they feel inferior for example they said “I am black, not because of a curse, but because my skin has been able to capture all the cosmic effluvia”. The dominant colonial culture , he argued that the black skin of Negro was identified as impurity. The colonial women shown up their identities with their whiteness and attempting to avoid black men and to get close to the white men.

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1804 Words | 8 Pages

To initiate, the implementation of gender equality laws will help conclude unequal treatment towards women and create opportunities for women to refuse unsafe work and treatments. Also, without the right to make individual choices for body, women 's prosperity, well-being, and potential in society are restricted and gender inequality is therefore perpetuated. According to the academic article, Sexual Health’s Women’s Rights, “120 million girls worldwide have experienced forced intercourse” (Ngcuka) activities against their own individual soul. Many women are suffering from forced physical and sexual violence because of the limited laws and regulations that allow women to refuse unsafe treatments and practices. According to reports, the “ 32

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1286 Words | 6 Pages

Similar to many other villages in Kenya, there is a high incidence of HIV/AIDS in Shinyalu. McKay helps the reader understand the burden that a disease such as HIV/AIDS has on a community by writing about the financial and emotional struggles the local and global community experiences. “The term burden of disease generally describes the total, cumulative consequences of a defined disease or a range of harmful diseases with respect to disabilities in a community” (Hessel, 2008, p. 95). The consequences to the community are easily understood when the reader meets Amy, a close friend to Moses. Amy lives in a four room house with no running water or electricity and cares for nine children orphaned by AIDS.

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