Logo image
Female genital mutilation: The limits of cultural relativism
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Female genital mutilation: The limits of cultural relativism

M. Parke
Sister in Law, Vol.4, pp.7-46
1999
pdf
Female_genital_mutilation_The_limits_of_cultural_relativism.pdfDownloadView
Published (Version of Record) Open Access

Abstract

The subjugation of women is as old as the history of 'mankind'. It is a social custom that goes back at least to the Stone Age. Indeed, the practice of female genital mutilation is said to have its roots in that era. In any event, it certainly pre-dated the world's major religions, including Islam, the religion with which it is most closely associated. With the fairly recent emergence of women's voices at the international level protesting the systemic violence against women, of which female genital mutilation is a serious manifestation, there has been a countervailing force, known as cultural relativism, calling for States to safeguard their cultural, religious and community values against the imposition of Western norms of sexual licence and amoral individualism.

Details

Metrics

2357 File views/ downloads
338 Record Views
Logo image