Book Notes

The Female Circumcision Controversy: An Anthropological Perspective, By Ellen Gruenbaum. Philadelphia, Pa.: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2001. Pp. 221. $24.95, paper.

Ellen Gruenbaum spent over five years in Sudan studying the country’s widespread practice of female circumcision. In The Female Circumcision Controversy, Gruenbaum utilizes her perspective as a westerner immersed in the Sudanese culture to confront the reasons behind the failure of other western efforts to eradicate female circumcision and to explore the cultural, religious, and economic factors that perpetuate the practice in Sudan.

The Female Circumcision Controversy begins with a description of the varying degrees and types of female circumcision, the history of the practice, and the context of Gruenbaum’s experience. This background information is helpful to set the stage for the remainder of the book, but any reader with knowledge of the debates surrounding female circumcision can skip the Introduction and plunge directly into her study of Sudanese society.

Gruenbaum methodically explores the aspects of Sudanese culture that she believes have the strongest impact on the perpetuation of female circumcision in Sudan. These cultural elements include the historical ritual and meaning of the female circumcision ceremony, the importance placed on female circumcision by men in choosing their wives, the cultural definition of sexuality, and the ethnic identity associated with the form of female circumcision practiced by one’s group. In exploring each of these cultural elements, Gruenbaum utilizes her personal experiences to illustrate the strength of these cultural pressures on Sudanese women. For example, Gruenbaum tells the story of a mother who was thinking of not circumcising her daughter but was nervous about the daughter’s ability to find a husband

who would accept her as uncircumcised. Without a husband to provide an income in a patriarchal society, both mother and daughter would likely face incredible economic pressures and social instability later in life. Few, if any, women would place their daughters and themselves in such a precarious position without strong cultural support and concrete knowledge of the harms that can arise from circumcision.

Gruenbaum also explores the effect of economic development in Sudan on the practice of female circumcision. Economic development leads, in general, to greater educational opportunities, which then lead to social change and empowerment for women. However, Gruenbaum also recognizes that economic development could lead to the perpetuation of the practice of female circumcision. For example, as men achieve greater economic status they gain greater control over their wives and daughters and gain greater potential to take multiple wives. The distribution of resources associated with polygamy is undesirable to many women who may take drastic measures to prevent polygamy amongst their husbands or the future husbands of their daughters. Circumcision is thought to increase the sexual pleasure of men and, if women believe increasing sexual pleasure will decrease the chance of their husband taking another wife, they may continue to practice circumcision.

Internal pressures and movements to end or modify the practice of female circumcision within Sudan are also explored. In this arena, Gruenbaum distinguishes Western efforts based solely on the goal of eradicating female circumcision from internal movements based on the education of men, women, and midwives, and the empowerment of women. For example, she describes the efforts of Islamic leaders to spread the word that female circumcision, at least the most extreme variation, is not religiously mandated. Gruenbaum closes the book with suggestions to Western readers on how to get involved in the effort to stop the practice of female circumcision without generating backlash. She provides contact information for numerous international organizations as well as organizations based in the United States.

While encouraging westerners to get involved in the movement, Gruenbaum also points out that for many Sudanese the eradication of female circumcision is simply not a priority. For women whose daily life is a struggle and who do not have access to clean water or reliable health care, there are greater priorities. In this context, western movements focused on female circumcision are unappreciated and, often, resented. Western aid to provide clean water, health care and educational opportunities are preferred because they speak to the daily needs of the Sudanese.

The Female Circumcision Controversy differs from the majority of books written by western authors on female circumcision. Gruenbaum avoids the aggressive tone of condemnation and the vehement call to arms commonly employed by western authors. She does not go into graphic detail when describing the circumcision procedure, nor does she focus on the serious medical side effects associated with female circumcision. Rather, Gruenbaum seeks to provide western readers with a better understanding of the complex cultural

context surrounding female circumcision and an explanation for the failure of most simplistic western efforts to eradicate the practice.

Some may criticize Gruenabum’s effort to promote understanding as an effort to promote acceptance. These critics may not be completely off the mark. Gruenbaum’s goal is certainly not to encourage the acceptance of female circumcision as a practice. However, her goal does seem to be the acceptance of the cultural context in which female circumcision is practiced. With this acceptance and understanding she believes a stronger, more effective campaign for the eradication of female circumcision can be waged.

—Jeanne Cavanaugh

Copyright © 2002 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College
Harvard Human Rights Journal / Vol. 15, Spring 2002