MISOGYNY. Sexism …
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Yeah, forget some bloke in a blue tie looking at his watch. Can we talk about real misogyny?
As real hatred for women goes, I reckon it’s hard to go past female genital mutilation (FGM).
Explain to me how attacking a young girl’s genitals with a knife, razor blade or a piece of glass is anything but hatred of women at its most basic level?
Yes, I know FGM is actually carried out by women, but how can a practice that likely leaves the girls with lifelong damage that causes problems with everything from urination to sex and childbirth be celebrating womanhood?
It’s a foul, barbaric practice and those that continue to support it need to be hit hard by the legal system.
Sadly, though, it would appear that current penalties are not working, and it’s a problem that is hurting girls across the world.
The news.com.au website has this week reported from the UK: “Every year around June, thousands of girls disappear from homes and schools for extended holidays never to return the same again.”
“It’s a part of the annual ‘cutting season’ where girls younger than 15 are sent to visit relatives only to have their genitalia mutilated using knives, scissors or pieces of glass and sometimes sewn up using thorns.
“Now a new report on female genital mutilation (FGM) shows just how widespread the practice is with victims in every county across the UK.
“Equality Now’s program officer for Sexual Violence and Trafficking Anber Raz said while it’s virtually impossible to get a handle on exact numbers due to secrecy surrounding it, there is no doubt it’s happening to young girls today despite moves to ban the brutal practice.
“’Summer generally is what they call the cutting season which also means that people have often taken girls abroad in the summer holidays to have this done,” she told news.com.au.
The article went on to report: “In Australia, the NSW Government has taken a tough approach in cracking down on FGM, last year increasing the maximum penalty for performing the procedure from seven to 21 years.
“It has also become a criminal act to take a girl out of NSW to undergo FGM, closing a loophole that previously let people avoid charges if they had taken their child overseas.
“Despite this, a handful of people in NSW have faced court over the practice, including a Sydney father who had his then nine-month-old baby daughter circumcised while abroad in February 2012.”
We hear a lot about breaking glass ceilings and affirmative action, but if you want to see some real affirmative action? Let’s start with getting seriously, irrefutably tough on anyone who inflicts is involved in the abhorrent activity.