The Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation from the Viewpoint of International Human Rights Looking at the Actions of International Organizations and Institutions

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 .Associate Professor, Department of International Law, Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran. (Corresponding Author)

2 M.A., Department of International Law, Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.

Abstract

One of the challenges of women's human rights that has been considered over recent years is the issue of female genital mutilation. This descriptive-documentary study aimed to investigate the prohibition of female genital mutilation from the viewpoint of international human rights; thus, the following question was examined: why has the female genital mutilation been prohibited from the viewpoint of international human rights and what actions have the international organizations and institutions been doing? The results indicated that the female genital mutilation violates women's basic human rights, such as the right to good health and the prohibition of its use requires more serious actions done by the governments and international organizations and institutions. In addition, the governments should execute the recommendations of institutions' international human rights agreements.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

  1. ابن‌منظور، محمدبن‌مکرم (1308). لسان العرب. بیروت: دارالفکر.
  2. اشراقی، محمد (1385). نگاهی به پدیده خشونت علیه زنان. نشریه دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی واحد شوشتر، 2(1)، 10- 28.
  3. حاجی‌‌فقها، محبوبه.، سیمبر، معصومه.، گلعذار، سمیرا.، و علیزاده، شیوا (1395). ختنه دختران زنان الزام دینی یا اجبار فرهنگی. نشریه زنان، مامایی و نازایی، 25(19)، 12-13.
  4. حمیدی، فریده.، قاسمیان، پروانه.، و صباغ‌‌نو، سولماز (1385). مجموعه مقالات حقوق زنان، حقوق بشر. تهران: روشنگران و مطالعات زنان.
  5. ذوالفقارطلب، مصطفی.، و جمالی، محمد (1393). ختنه زنان از دیدگاه مذاهب فقهی. نشریه فقه پزشکی، 17(6)، 25- 37.
  6. کلینی، محمدبن یعقوب‌‌‌بن اسحاق (1407هـ.ق). اصول کافی. تهران: دارالکتب الاسلامیه.
  7. مجلسی، محمدباقر (1385). حلیه‌‌المتقین. قم: مسجد مقدس جمکران.

 

  1. Abdulcadir, J., Margariraz, C., Boulvain, M., & Irion, O. (2011). Care of Women with Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting. Swiss Med Wkly, 140(11), 1-8.
  2. African Union (2016). International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation. https://au.int/en/pressreleases/20160206-0.
  3. Aldeeb, S. (2012). Introduction to Islamic law: Foundation, sources and principles. London: CreateSpace.
  4. Andistahal, (2017). The Campaign against Female Genital Mutilation. https://wadi-online.org/2017/03/06/the-campaign-against-female-genital-mutilation/
  5. Buff, D. D. (1995). Female Circumcision. New England Journal of Medicine, 332, 188-190.
  6. CEDAW (1990). General recommendations made by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, 14. https://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/recommendations/recomm.htm.
  7. Committee against Torture (2008). General Comment No. 2. UN Doc CAT/C/GC/2.
  8. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural right (2008). E/C.12/BEN/Q/2/Add.1.
  9. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural right (2009). E/C.12/GC/21.
  10. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (2000). General Comment, 14. The right to the highest attainable standard of health. UN Doc. E/C.12/2000.
  11. Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council Towards the elimination of female genital mutilation (2013). 52013DC0833.
  12. Economic and Social Council Official Records (ECOSOC) (2007). Economic and Social Council Official Records Supplement, No. 7 (E/2007/27-E/CN.6/2007/9), commission on the status of women, report on the fifty-first session.
  13. El-Damanhoury (2013). The Jewish and Christian View of Female Genital Mutilation. African Journal of Urology, 19(3), 127-129.
  14. European Commission (2013). Definition of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Prevalence in the EU and the Commission's Commitment to Eliminating this Violent Practice against Women and Girls. https://ec.europa.eu/info/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/gender-equality/gender-based-violence/eliminating-female-genital-mutilation_en
  15. Fisha, KG. (2016). Female Genital Mutilation: A Violation of Human Right. Journal of Political Science and Public Affaris, 4(2), 1-6.
  16. Hayford, S. R. (2005). Conformity and Change: Community Effects on Female Genital Mutilation in Kenya. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 46(2),121-141.
  17. Human Rights Committee (1982). General Comment No. 6: The right to life (art. 6), para. 5.
  18. Human Rights Committee (2019). General Comment No. 36. https://www.ohchr.org/en/hrbodies/ccpr/pages/gc36-article6righttolife.aspx
  19. Kamali Dehghan, S. (2015). Female Genital Mutilation Practiced in Iran, Study Reveals. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/04/female-genital-mutilation-iran-fgm.
  20. Kassamali, N. (2006). Encyclopedia of Women and Islamic and Cultures. Boston: Brill.
  21. Kentenich,, & Billing, U. (2008). Female Genital Mutilation: an Injury, Physical and Mental Harm. Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol, 29(4),255-259
  22. Klaassen, M., & Rodrigues, P. (2018). The Committee on the Rights of the Child on Female Genital Mutilation and Non-Refoulement. https://leidenlawblog.nl/articles/the-committee-on-the-rights-of-the-child-on-female-genital-mutilation

30.   Mulvey, A. (2017). FGM Should be recognized as a Form of Torture. http://www.legalactionworldwide.org/fgm-Recognised-Form-Torture

31.   Orchid Project (2012). Where Did Female Genital Cutting Come from?. https://orchidproject.org/where-did-female-genital-cutting-come-from/.

32.   Population Council (2018). FGM Decision-Making Process and the Roll of Gender POWER relation in Sudan Evidence to End FGM.https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjmjcmxmPvtAhXeQEEAHVWeCNAQFjAAegQIAxAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.popcouncil.org%2Fuploads%2Fpdfs%2F2018RH_FGMC-GenderStudySudan.pdf&usg=AOvVaw0UB2wZ7g0ortEnfWqFHn3N

33.   Rahman, A. & Toubia, N. (2000). Female Genital Mutilation, a Guide to Laws and Policies Worldwide. London: Zed Books.

34.   Rahman, A,. & Toubia, N. (2006). Female Genital Mutilation A matter of Human Rights. Center for reproductive rights, No2, 15.

35.   Rizvi, S. A. H., Naqvi, S. A. A., Hussain, M., & Hasan, A. S. (1999). Religious circumcision: a Muslim view. BJU International, 83, 13-16.

36.   Sakuya, O. (2014). In Kenya, Men Are Challenging the Male Role in the Female Circumcision Problem. https://www.afro.who.int/news/kenya-men-are-challenging-male-role-female-circumcision-problem

37.   Salem, N. (2017). The Impact of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women on the Domestic Legislation in Egypt. Leiden: Brill Nijhoff.

38.   The General Assembly of the United Nations (1984) Convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

39.   UK Fact sheet (2016). Fact sheet on mandatory reporting of female genital mutilation. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fact-sheet-on-mandatory-reporting-of-female-genital-mutilation

40.   UN (1990).Traditional or Customary practice affecting the health of women and girls. A/RES/53/117.

41.   UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) (1990). CEDAW General Recommendation No. 14. Female Circumcision, Doc. A/45/38.

42.   UNFPA-UNICEF. (2019). Joint Programed to Eliminate Female Genital Mutilation. https://www.unfpa.org/unfpa-unicef-joint-programme-female-genital-mutilations.

43.   UNICEF. (2016) Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting. https://www.unicef.org/protection/female-genital-mutilation

44.   United Nations (1995). Report of the International Conference on Population and Development. A/CONF.171/13/Rev.1.

45.   United Nations Children’s Fund (2016). Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A global concern. https://data.unicef.org/resources/female-genital-mutilationcutting-global-concern/#

46.   UNPA (2019). Which International and Regional Instruments Can Be Referenced for the Elimination of FGM?. https://www.unfpa.org/resources/female-genital-mutilation-fgm-frequently-asked-questions#international_regional_instruments.

47.   WHO (2007). Classification of FGM. https://www.who.int/health-topics/female-genital-mutilation#tab=tab_1

48.  Wood, A. N. (2001). A Cultural Rite of Passage or a Form of Torture: Female Genital Mutilation from an International Law Perspective. Hastings Women’s Law Journal, 12(2), 347- 386.

The Islamic Journal Of Women and The Family
Volume 10, Issue 3 - Serial Number 28
October 2022
Pages 123-154

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics