Under Western Authority: Discourses of Intersex, "FGM", and Human Rights
Open AccessUnder Western Authority: Discourses of Intersex, "FGM", and Human RightsThe intent of this essay is to elucidate the physical and other similarities between female genital mutilation, or "FGM", which is understood as a cultural practice, and the medicalized treatment of intersex conditions in the United States, as well as examine the differences in conceptualization and articulation of the frameworks that establish how these practices and the people who engage in and undergo them are viewed. This is not to say, or imagine, that these practices and people must be seen as unequivocally analogous, but that in acknowledging the potential similarities, the West must begin to regard their own practices, policies, and constructions of culture and normativity with an equally - if not more - critical eye as is given to non-Western cultures and practices. This project will proceed toward a discussion of how the shift to engaging with both of these practices through a human rights lens can allow for the opportunity to rearticulate the terms under which the practices are understood, as well as the norms that construct and bind them. Ultimately, this will begin the work of ensuring the validation of the humanity and agency of these individuals as well as reimagining the theoretical and practical implications of engaging with discourses of human rights in relation to intersexuality and "FGM".
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