If we associate the notion of genital mutilation with excision and other
practices that are still current in certain countries of Africa and the MiddleEast, Europe, in other forms, is no stranger to it. ---- February 6 is the"International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation". Under thisextended name, a flagship fight of the UN and UNICEF which focuses on thecountries of Africa and the Middle East where these practices are still toocommon. ----- In the past two years, they have even experienced an upsurge linkedto the pandemic. Preventive measures have, as everywhere, reduced economicactivity and diminished the general resources of populations, thus increasingpoverty and making it difficult to access various support services in the face ofgenital mutilation. On this international day, UNICEF warned last year of theconsequences of this situation on young girls, who find themselves all the morevulnerable and exposed to forced marriages and genital mutilation[1].Going beyond racist and imperialist biases, which only associate genitalmutilation with countries in Africa and the Middle East, shows that Europe is notexempt on this issue. Far from it.Witness the medical practices for which France has already been condemned severaltimes and which regularly subject intersex children[2]to hormonal treatments andgenital mutilation to conform to one of the two recognized sexes, and thiswithout medical reason. .(c) Estelle PrudentBut these mutilations are also found in the spectrum of gynecological violence.One thinks of the many testimonies, too little taken seriously, of genitalmutilation during and after childbirth[3], or even deliberately botchedvaginoplasties on transgender people.Legal practices on intersex childrenMore generally, patriarchal injunctions to genital "beauty" lead to their shareof surgical operations which sometimes lead to involuntary mutilation. It is aquestion of tightening the vagina, shortening the labia, reconstructing thehymen, whitening the vulva... In short, to find the genital characteristicsspecific to young girls who are barely nubile, that is to say minors. Even thosewho undergo excisions and genital mutilations elsewhere. Discoloration of hairand skin being the result of an eminently racist patriarchal system.(c) Guillaume PironHere or elsewhere, the patriarchy remains true to itself and its victims areinevitably the same. Let us fight against all forms of genital violence,everywhere, and whatever their forms.Bibi and SissiTo validate[1]See the UNICEF press release of February 3, 2022 on their website.[2]Intersex people are people "who have sex characteristics that do notcorrespond to the typically male or typically female binary definitions, whetherthese characteristics are visible at birth or appear later in life, notably atpuberty.», definition of the Stop Mutilations Intersexes website.[3]For example, the "husband's stitch" involves performing an extra stitch afteran episiotomy to increase the husband's sexual pleasure.https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Violences-sexistes-Contre-les-mutilations-genitales-ici-et-ailleurs_________________________________________A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C EBy, For, and About AnarchistsSend news reports to A-infos-en mailing listA-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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