Strategies Implemented to Stop FGM/C: A Case Study of Kenya and Ethiopia

The purpose of this article is to investigate the western influence and implications for the discourses and practices of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) and this is presented with the two case studies: Kenya and Ethiopia. The article seeks to understand why FGM/C has taken such a long time to be eliminated considering it has been presented to be harmful to the lives of women. The main focus lies on the arguments of universal human rights, which is heavily depicted by those who oppose the practice whereas the right to culture is supported by cultural relativism theory. As a conclusion the author notes that the influence from “the west” has had an impact on the discourse of FGM/C. It also points out that the current argument of FGM/C being a violation of human rights may be the ideology that seems to fit in well with most countries, but it still faces criticisms and these objections reflect the slow rate of eradication of this practice.