Female Genital Mutilation
Ritual of Controversy: An Examination of Female Genital Mutilation and its Many Challenges Despite its significance as a cultural ritual in many societies across the African continent, the practice of female genital mutilation, in its current forms, must be altered. FGM (also know as female genital circumcision) is a controversial topic in development studies; it is impossible to reasonably assess FGM without considering the issue of cultural relativism. ... Female genital mutilation has been practiced for thousands of years and most likely originated in the ancient Ethiopian and Egyptian civilizations. ... Within six years the program had prevented over 1,000 genital cuttings and proved highly successful in providing an alternative to a heavy-handed ban. ... Female Genital Mutilation is a hotly debated issue among academics, it forces us to consider issues of cultural relativism and examine western cultural imperialism.