This article was written by Rose-Marie Paradis from our Women Against Feminism Facebook Group. Her first language is French. Check her twitter out at rmpwriter and this is her Facebook Page or you can message her here.
I am a men’s rights activist woman. I’m a egalitarian, but here, in developed countries, evidence shows that men don’t have as much rights as most people think they have, and not as many as women have.
One of the most important one is…
Bodily Autonomy.
If I told you that I want to cut my baby girl’s clitoris, you would definitely and rightfully be against it. It’s obvious in developed countries that we don’t cut baby girls. If I would tell you I’m going to tattoo my baby, give them face piercing, you would also be rightfully against it. So why is it still legal to circumcise baby boys?
Bodily autonomy is one of the most basic human rights. It’s also the one giving women the right to have abortions. Why isn’t this right granted to boys ? While circumcision is seen as a casual procedure, the consequences are big. To start, even if it is considered successful, the removal of a healthy tissue with functions means the loss of certain functions, mostly related to lubrication.
Also, the removal of the foreskin means the glans aren’t protected anymore and that it will lose a certain degree or sensibility, and this increases with ageing since the gland will constantly be made to rub against clothing. The procedure itself puts the baby in pain, and if not “successful” it might lead to the loss of sexual functions or of a part or the of the penis.
Even though European countries are having this discussion, it is still currently legal and therefore we are infringing upon babies boys regularly. Its also not even being discussed in most parts of the world. Female genital mutilating though, has been illegal since decades and nobody tries to defend a “parental right” to do so.
The worst developed country offender is USA, with a ratio of 79%. Europe is mostly under 20% and in Canada the rate of about 50% is getting lower at the moment. While that means doctors don’t tell their patients to do it by default and most parents don’t ask to do it, the legality of the act still means that kids are underprivileged by being in a less educated family or from Jewish or Muslim background, regarding the protection of their basic human rights of bodily autonomy.
While the religious freedom is often named, this right applies to individuals themselves and not others. Until the kid choses himself is religion and/or to go with the procedure as grown up man, he should be kept intact. This way not only his bodily autonomy is respected, but is sexual future is also protected and not in the hands of his parents. It’s a no-brainer to not mutilate babies.
Yet, feminism which fought so hard to end female genital mutilation and claims to want equality with men has been deeply silent about it as a movement. Some voices have risen against it, but i