Female Circumcision in Egypt: Social Implications, Current Research, and Prospects for Change

Abstract

The social implications of the practice of female circumcision in Egypt are examined in this paper. Female circumcision is defined as the partial or complete removal of the external female genitalia, varying from removal of the prepuce of the clitoris only to the full excision of the clitoris, the labia minora, and the labia majora. Most Egyptian women are circumcised in the first or second degrees. The practice probably originated in Pharaonic Egypt, in which it was invested with mythological significance. Islamic tradition has reinforced the practice because of the belief that it attenuates sexual desire in women. The legal status is ambiguous. Current research shows that women, especially among lower socioeconomic groups, often do not understand the danger of the operation, which mothers usually cause to be performed on their daughters between the ages of 6 and 10, before the girl reaches puberty. Interviews conducted by the author in a pilot study in 1979 suggest that even in the absence of social and economic change, many uneducated women, given information, will question the validity of female circumcision. This questioning, and the uneducated woman's rejection of the practice, are based on new and emerging values such as respect for modern concepts of health and an enhanced definition of women's identity and roles. Moreover, in most cases, the memory of the operation is sufficiently traumatic so that mere questioning by a trusted service-provider or a friend would receive a positive response. The paper concludes with detailed responses of 4 women interviewed in the pilot study.