Bioethics and FGM/C
Bioethics provides a crucial framework for examining FGM/C, focusing on principles such as bodily integrity, autonomy, informed consent, cultural relativism, and medicalisation. FGM/C is often viewed as a violation of bodily integrity and autonomy, particularly when performed on minors who cannot provide informed consent. This raises significant ethical concerns, as the procedure permanently alters a person’s body without their informed, voluntary consent.
However, the debate is complex and multifaceted. While some bioethicists argue for universal human rights that prioritise individual autonomy, others suggest that cultural practices deserve respect and understanding. The Public Policy Advisory Network on Female Genital Surgeries in Africa takes a nuanced approach, criticising the oversimplified and sensationalised portrayal of FGM/C in Western media. This perspective suggests that some women who have undergone these procedures view them positively, challenging the narrative that FGM/C universally results in harm.
The medicalisation of FGM/C, where the procedure is performed in clinical settings, adds another layer to the ethical debate. Some view this as a harm reduction strategy, while others argue that it legitimises a practice that should be eradicated altogether. Bioethicists also question whether true informed consent is possible in contexts where cultural and social pressures are intense, making it difficult to discern whether consent is genuinely voluntary.
Debates about the impacts of criminalising FGM/C suggest that this can stigmatise affected communities, drive the practice underground, or lead to girls being cut at a younger age, all potentially increasing harm. Criminalisation can also result in people avoiding medical treatment for problems unrelated to FGM/C, because they fear that their cut status will be revealed, leading to prosecution. Bioethics calls for a balanced, critical approach that respects cultural diversity while protecting individual rights, particularly the rights of children to bodily integrity and autonomy.