ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the term female genital cutting (FGC) to refer to physical act of cutting. FGC is largely considered a cultural ritual, and in many communities where it is practiced, it is seen as gateway into womanhood and marriage. It is believed to reduce a woman's libido, in turn, reducing her desire for sexual activity and ensuring premarital virginity and loyalty to her husband. Literature on FGC largely focuses on two key positions: one that views FGC as a feminist issue and human rights abuse, and other that views FGC as a misunderstood and improperly criticised cultural practice. Media representations of FGC are accused of gross embellishment, serving the function of titillating Western audiences with grisly stories about African men's sexual domination over women. L. Wade analysed newspaper coverage of FGC in the context of representations of traditional versus modern women and determined that newspapers used the issue to trivialise the oppressions of US women and simultaneously denigrate non-Western cultures.
