Clifford Sibonginkosi’s study, The Relation of Female Circumcision to Sexual Behavior in Kenya and Nigeria (2017) examines the relationship between sexual behavior and female circumcision, by surveying numerous women from the African states of Kenya and Nigeria. Initially, Sibonginkosi’s hypothesis is that women who were circumcised were less likely to initiate sex early. One of the reasons for the perpetuation of this procedure is that it controls female sexuality, or so that is what is erroneously believed.
In addition, Sibonginkosi’s work illuminates that this procedure is carried out because it is believed being cut increases the chances of marriage – associated with the ideals of modesty and feminist, bringing to light that women are deem more beautiful, in the eyes of men, after the removal of their private parts. In the end no association is observed, and the argument of sexual chastity is not enough to sustain the perpetuation of female circumcision, thus, he claims it is hard to change the culture that aims to harm women. A culture that caters to men and promotes mutilation.
A recent report by World Health Organization synthesizes its findings into a published article, Violence Against Women: The Health Sector Responds bringing to light facts on the health and social consequences of violence against women. By using the infographic highlights, the report is able to engage the audience in an educative discussion about femicide.
The piece states that society has begun to break the barriers in that we have started to contextualize the types of violent crime against women, and are able to build a different picture, a broader picture, of what causes and influences such violence – violence that is perpetrated by men, or in defense of men. Velzeboer’s article states, “violence against women is rooted on gender inequality” (Velzeboer 2009:5).
However, I must admit that we live in time where crowds are taking the streets and utilizing different mediums such as social media to demand a change in the culture of violence against women – an issuing that is coming out of the shadows. A good example of this is the current #MeToo movement happening on the internet – a groundbreaking anti-sexual assault and women empowerment phenomena that have become public conversation about women’s issues around the globe and has elevated the global conscious surrounding the obstacles women face in their lives, both personally and professionally.
Conclusively, I posited this argument that femicide is presently being used to not only give political urgency to the greater issues at hand – but also, to help people understand the real crimes that are being committed against women regardless of class, gender, race, sexuality, and religion. In this paper I examined various transnational forms of femicide that range from murders, infanticide, dowry killings, and mutilation – practices that are not isolated occurrences but the invisible force of patriarchy. My research delved into many examples which supports the existence of femicide, a global occurrence, and the problem being at the core of one’s own culture.
