ABSTRACT
Because FGM research emerges mainly from the social sciences, medicine, and law, we explore value added by literary studies to eliminating FGM. After all, people thrive on stories. Endearing characters capture our affections, while those inflicting pain are censured. Yet antagonists comprise beloved relations, especially mothers. While policymakers privilege statistics, weighty, conflicting emotions evade scrutiny. To challenge mutilation of girls’ vulvae, however, it behooves us to consider feelings expressed in creative media that may, in turn, move even traditionalists to abjure genital wounding. Scholars often overlook novels, drama, poetry, memoir, songs, and painting as valid sources of knowledge about FGM. Intended as a catalyst for further research into relationships among reading, empathy, altruism, and media, this chapter shares analyses of FGM as a literary theme. We examine human rights denied under the cultural prescription for ablating female sexual pleasure while celebrating publication of unsilenced voices. To illustrate the benefit of reversing this neglect, we cite Khady’s Mutilée (2005), a video titled Le Pari de Bintou (1995), Nura Abdi’s Tränen im Sand (2003), and Fadumo Korn’s Geboren im grossen Regen (2004), while gesturing toward Fatou Keïta’s Rebelle (1998), Diaryatou Bah’s On m’a volé mon enfance (2006), and others deserving attention.
