Female Genital Surgeries and Multicultural Feminism: The Ties That Bind; The Differences That Distance

This paper examines, through a three-step approach, "culturally challenging" practices of female genital surgeries (FGS). It reviews ways in which the popularization of FGS has raised questions about how this issue is framed, as well as how Westerners and non-Westerners are represented in the popular consciousness. It also explores the positive aspects as well as the pitfalls of using the legal system in combatting surgeries. [Descriptors: Reproductive Rights - Female Genital Cutting, International]