Exchanging Female Genital Mutilation for Education - Essay Example

This paper aims to conduct a detailed analysis of the media story. As noted in the media story, Kakenya decided to undergo the F.G.M procedure to be allowed to complete high school. Additionally, she bargained with the village elders to join the college to use her education to benefit her community (Hall, 2015). Luckily, her dad and the village elders agreed to her request and after completing high school, she received a scholarship to Randolph-Macon Women’s College in Virginia.

After that degree, she received a Ph.D. in education from the University of Pittsburgh (Switzer, 2009). From the above discussion, it is evident the media story is relevant to theory, research, and society. It is relevant to theory in the sense that Kakenya wanted to exchange FGM for education, which will help her fight for feminine rights in Kenya. She wanted the Maasai community to embrace womanhood and enhance femininity. As noted in numerous studies, education is a tool that can reduce male dominance, reduce instances where women find themselves in troubling positions, and enhance femininity (Berg, 2013; Switzer, 2009; Whitehorn, 2002).

As noted in a study by Whitehorn (2002), people often negotiate their way into the world of their making. This is demonstrated in the media story because Kakenya bargained with her community to undergo FGM to be allowed to complete high school and join college. Additionally, she demonstrated how education could help foster female empowerment (Hall, 2015). After completing her Ph.D. in education, Kakenya traveled around the world giving lectures on the importance of educating girls (Alcaraz, 2014).

She started fighting against the practices of F.G.M and child marriage (Alcaraz, 2014). The paper will now discuss how FGM is constructed in the media story. The story has depicted FGM as a prerequisite to becoming a woman in the Maasai community in Kenya (Switzer, 2009). Kakenya notes that it was routine for 12-year-old girls in the Maasai community to be circumcised and forcefully married. This means that to be a wife and mother, a girl has to undergo this practice (Switzer, 2009). Additionally, making a deal with her father that she would undergo female genital mutilation in exchange for finishing her education was proof that men have power in her community (Switzer, 2009).
Kakenya decided to trade school for FGM after her mother encouraged her to strive for a better life (Berg, 2013; Whitehorn, 2002). Her bold move of agreeing to be mutilated paid off since she is now the first Maasai woman with a Ph.D. As noted in the media story, Kakenya believes education will bring liberation to the young girls in her community, and enable the girls to experience what education means (Berg, 2013; Whitehorn, 2002).
Elements missing in the story
There are various missing pieces in this media story. The media story did not state the years Kakenya was when she underwent FGM. Additionally, the story did not explain the reason her father agreed to her bargaining. It just notes that Kakenya threatened her father to run away unless he allows her to join a high school after the mutilation (Hall, 2015).
The story did not explain the factors that make FGM an issue. As noted in a study by Althaus (1997), this procedure is often done by village doctors with no knowledge of medicine. Therefore, the females who are subjected to this practice are risking death or permanent health problems (Althaus, 1997). The media story did not mention these grave risks that make FGM an issue, but it just focused on how the Maasai community views FGM as an integral part of their cultural identity.
Studies note that the pain of FGM does not stop after the mutilation procedure (Althaus, 1997; Whitehorn, 2002). The pain continues and it will be ongoing torture throughout a woman’s life. The women will suffer from psychological effects throughout their lives. The media story did not highlight any psychological effects suffered by Kakenya such as post-traumatic stress disorder (Whitehorn, 2002).
The questions to be asked after closer analysis of this media story are, should each community stick to its respective social norms even if it allows FGM? Should there be respect for traditions that allow FGM and which attract social pressure? If FGM ensures loyalty for women, do men have the same expectations to be loyal?