Am I woman

Female circumcision, the partial or total cutting away of the external female genitalia, has been practiced for centuries in parts of Africa, generally as one element of a rite of passage preparing young girls for womanhood and marriage. Often performed without anesthetic under septic conditions by lay practitioners with little or no knowledge of human anatomy or medicine, female circumcision can cause death or permanent health problems as well as severe pain. Despite these grave risks, its practitioners look on it as an integral part of their cultural and ethnic identity, and some perceive it as a religious obligation.

Ancestors Stones focused on the African women sometimes the forgotten people. It's hard to think about the women when men are such the fore front of every story. When you think about it African women and African American women have struggle within their family and outside their family. women have to go through the traumatic even of getting their female sex organ cut off as a right of passage. Here in America, African American women still head many of the single family homes and yet we have the leading cause of Aids. African women are sold to the highest bidder to be someone bride without any suggestions for them. Once they are with their husband they are subjected to beatings, humiliation, taking care of the kids and her husband. Many of these women are one in many wives. So their place in subjective to a number not your name. The women will always be known as the third or fourth wife.

When does tradition turn into abuse? It is easy to write off what these women have gone through has part of their culture but isn't some of it inhumane? Does any one deserves to get beat because of their culture? Does anyone deserves to not make a decision because it is part of their culture?