This book comprises a collection of narratives by people whose lives have been touched by female genital mutilation (FMG), across five continents.

Only from such models is it fully possible to explore such issues as the rights of women and of children, of the part which the well-being of women plays in the health of a nation, and also the strengths and weaknesses of the various international campaigns on the subject.

1. Background and history

Excision, or female genital mutilation (FGM), in Africa is no longer the private concern only of women; it is a social and political issue that concerns both men and women and this book reports on an innovative research and action project amongst girls and boys in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Senegal. The project explores whether young people's use of information technology could contribute to the abandonment of FGM. In the age of the internet, beliefs and practices of FGM are shifting, particularly among young people. The results of this project show how, in the era of globalized citizenship, a cross-sectional vision that puts young people and gender at the center of development can produce real change.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is regarded as either a human rights violation or as female circumcision, a traditional cultural practice in some African and Islamic countries. A UK public health /FGM consultant who works with immigrants and advocates for its eradication introduces a dozen chapters examining religious, legal, ethical, and health aspects. For caseworkers, policy makers, and academics, the reader includes diagrams of types of FGM, data, a glossary, support advice and resources. Published by Radcliffe Medical Press, Ltd. Distributed in the US by BookMasters. Annotation :2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).

2. Prevalence and epidemiology

Female "circumcision" or, more precisely, female genital cutting (FGC), remains an important cultural practice in many African countries, often serving as a coming-of-age ritual. It is also a practice that has generated international dispute and continues to be at the center of debates over women's rights, the limits of cultural pluralism, the balance of power between local cultures, international human rights, and feminist activism. In our increasingly globalized world, these practices have also begun immigrating to other nations, where transnational complexities vex debates about how to resolve the issue. Bringing together thirteen essays, Transcultural Bodies provides an ethnographically rich exploration of FGC among African diasporas in the United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia. Contributors analyze changes in ideologies of gender and sexuality in immigrant communities, the frequent marginalization of African women's voices in debates over FGC, and controversies over legislation restricting the practice in immigrant populations.

Female Genital Mutilation ( FGM) is a procedure that involves partial or total removal of Female External Genitalia. It is considered a violation of women's sexual rights and currently is happening mostly in East, West and North Africa, as well as the Middle East."The story of Kedra, who is a victim of the most dangerous kind of FGM which is called "infibulation", will tell us what is happening to a million little girls in those countries. This book will show in great detail the short and long term effects of FGM and life as it is down the road for the millions in countries where this procedure is being performed.

The practice of female genital cutting, sometimes referred to as female circumcision and common in a number of African states, has attracted increasing attention in recent years and mobilized strong international opposition. While it typically produces a visceral response of horror and revulsion in Westerners, the practice is widely regarded in some cultures as essential for proper development into womanhood and is defended by women who have themselves experienced it and who have had the procedure performed on their own daughters. It is also perceived in many Islamic communities as religiously prescribed, although most Islamic clerics do not condone the practice. In this study, sociologist Elizabeth Boyle examines this controversial issue from the perspectives of the international system, governments, and individuals. Drawing on previous scholarship, records of international organizations, demographic surveys, and the popular media, Boyle examines how the issue is perceived and acted upon at international, national, and individual levels. Grounding her work in the sociological theory of neoinstitutionalism, Boyle describes how the choices made by governments and individual women are influenced by the often conflicting principles of individual human rights and sovereign autonomy. She concludes that while globalization may exacerbate such conflicts, it can ultimately lead to social change.

In 'Female Circumcision and Clitoridectomy in the United States', Sarah Rodriguez presents an engaging and surprising history of surgeries on the clitoris, revealing how medical views of the female body and female sexuality have changed, and in some cases not changed, throughout the last century and a half.