Female Genital Cutting (FGC): Who Defines Whose Culture as Unethical?

Abstract

Since its inception, the global female genital cutting (FGC) movement has been led by Westerners and framed along the lines of eradication. Unfortunately, the success of harm reduction strategies such as medicalization has been met with stiff opposition in favor of a rights-based framework of FGC eradication. In this paper, I join with others who have advocated for medicalization as beneficence. I question the Western paternalistic FGC eradication strategy and support the autonomy and empowerment of non-Western women in FGC-practicing communities.