essay

'Had this been your face, would you leave it as it is?': Female circumcision among the Nubians of Egypt

female circumcision : multicultural perspectivesPhiladelphia • Published In 2006 • Pages: 27-46

By: El Guindi, Fadwa.

Abstract
This study challenges unidimensional arguments that frame female circumcision in relation to "patriarchy" and other forms of male domination of women, proposing instead that in the context of rural Nubia the practice constitutes an important tradition that shapes the trajectory of women’s lives as they transition from childhood to womanhood. Nubian women interviewed for the study claimed that the main objective of female circumcision is to enhance beauty and sexual appeal by tightening the genitalia. To this effect, the author proposes that the practice is analogous to breast implants and other sexualized body alterations some women choose to undergo in contemporary Western societies.
Subjects
Comparative evidence
Body alterations
Gender status
Sexuality
Sexual stimulation
Sexual intercourse
Sex training
Gender roles and issues
culture
Nubians
Region
Africa
Sub Region
Northern Africa
Document Type
essay
Evaluation
Creator Type
Anthropologist
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Teferi Abate Adem ; 2020
Field Date
1962-1963
Coverage Date
1962-1963
Coverage Place
northern Aswan Governate, Egypt
Notes
Fadwa El Guindi
LCCN
2005042362
LCSH
Female circumcision--Africa