Editor's note: This story contains information about female genital mutilation that some readers may consider graphic.
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With the goal of educating students about female genital mutilation, a Purdue University professor spoke to students on Ball State's campus about the movement to abolish female mutilation in Sudan and Sierra Leone.
Ellen Gruenbaum is a UNICEF consultant with more than 30 years of experience researching female genital mutilation in Africa. The Ball State Anthropology Club invited Gruenbaum to speak in the L.A. Pittenger Student Center Ballroom on Thursday evening as a keynote speaker for a student research conference, said Kristen Vincenty, vice president of the organization, in an email.
Gruenbaum's lecture focused on the traditions of tribes and groups in the two countries and the efforts of those who are trying to abolish the practice.
World Health Organization defines female genital mutilation as "all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons." Gruenbaum said her goal is to inform people about the differences between the cultures that practice genital mutilation.
"The countries that are affected by this practice, it's not necessarily the same in each one. ... In many of these countries, it may only be one small ethnic group involved in the practice," she said. "It may be that it's not a very harmful sort of procedure that doesn't cause a lot of damage. And in other places, it may be a practice that causes a great deal of damage."
According to a press release from the Ball State Communications Center, the speaker has spent time researching the tradition in Sudan since the 1970s, and she expanded her fieldwork to include Sierra Leone in 2007. Gruenbaum is also the head of the Purdue University Department of Anthropology.
Paul McGowan, a junior international relations major, said he would like to see the conversation more focused on health than ending the practice.
"Unless the practice is extremely dangerous ... I think movements should focus on ensuring medical safety for those that undergo the practice," he said.
Gruenbaum referenced three types of female genital mutilation. Type I and Type II are the least dangerous circumcisions. For Type I, only a little bit of skin is removed from the genital area - the tip of the clitoris is cut. In Type II, the clitoris and inner labia are removed.
Type III is the most dangerous to a woman's health. The labia and clitoris are removed from the genital area. Remnants around the genital area are sewed together, leaving only a small hole near the urethra to allow urine to pass through. Many complications can arise from this extreme form, Gruenbaum said. She also said about 10 percent of women who are circumcised experience Type III.
According to womenshealth.gov, there are several short- and long-term problems resulting from female genital mutilation. Bleeding, infections, pain and trauma are some short-term effects of the procedure. The long-term effects are usually caused by Type III circumcisions, the site said. Some of these problems include having trouble in using the bathroom, having sex, getting pregnant and giving birth. There's also an increased chance of contracting STDs from unclean tools.
Gruenbaum said one of the biggest concerns with the tradition is that many circumcisers use the same cutting tool on each woman. Some people, she said, are trying to help women who undergo the procedure by supplying the women who perform the circumcision with clean knives and tetanus shots.
Vincenty said she agreed with Gruenbaum that change cannot be forced but must come through conversations with people involved in the practice.
"My personal opinion of female genital mutilation is that it is a tradition which I find extremely dangerous and it makes me cringe," she said. "But, I understand that it is a sacred [tradition] ... but through education and an opening of dialogue on the subject, we can warn [practitioners] about the dangers of the practice and hopefully show them a new way to accomplish the same goal."
Through her trips to Africa, Gruenbaum said she has seen change promoted by the teaching of the Quran, UNICEF posters and groups that use acting and music to educate the public about genital mutilation. During one of her trips, she even came across a soccer tournament that was held with the goal of educating young men about the practice, she said.
Vincenty said she thinks change can come about through educating people everywhere about female genital mutilation.
"I think it is a topic that people want to put out of their minds because it is awkward and painful to think of, but it is still important," she said. "It is something that if people become more educated on the topic, they will be able to formulate their own opinions and become part of the conversation that ends female genital mutilation. And with more people in the conversation, the stronger the voice, and with that strength can come change, which is what I think everyone is currently hoping for."
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