ABSTRACT
The aim of this chapter is to look at different framings of female circumcision and sexual desire in relation to the concept of Harmful Cultural Practices (HCP) in Egypt. The chapter combines different anthropological research findings to reflect upon one of the central questions raised in this volume: what is the relation of the category of HCP to the actual practice of female circumcision? We aim to discuss what it means to have female circumcision categorized as a harmful cultural practice in the Egyptian context. We first look at a group of circumcised women who offer different narrations and understandings of their experienced circumcision and sexual desire. These women narrate their lived experience based on a dual understanding of sexual desire namely as an outer and inner sexual desire that correlates to morally bad and morally good desire. Then we discuss how female circumcision is understood as a harmful cultural practice within national campaigning efforts to stop the practice. In these campaigns, harm done by circumcision is characteristically defined in terms of women’s sexual desire and enjoyment and contrasts strongly to the earlier narrated experiences.
