Tell that to all the circumcised American men – and their partners – who suffer from HIV despite the world’s highest circumcision rate. Tell that to all the women and girls you just spoke about having “unwanted pregnancies” that prevent them from the education you say they need to raise them from poverty. The United Nations should be embarrassed by the latest lecture by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka of UN Women advocating gender equality for women and girls by ignoring science, common sense, and the rights of men and boys. See the video below.
Yes, you read that right. Here’s a prominent 21st century feminist who advocates genital mutilation to prevent STDs; not everyone, just males done by doctors. When Ms. Ngcuka endorsed surgery over condoms to prevent STDs, I felt I was transported to the 19th century where circumcision was thought to cure everything from epilepsy to masturbation.
I attended the lecture as part of Stony Brook’s Presidential Lecture series where Ms. Ngcuka was invited to speak about gender equality and the UN’s HeForShe initiative. Feminists throw the word ‘equality’ around without actually thinking about what it means – that “gender equality” must be in the context of comparing one gender’s freedoms with the other gender’s freedoms, not some nebulous ‘equality’ that ignores the freedoms – or lack thereof – of the other gender, men in this case.
Lucky for me, they allowed questions following the lecture. My question pointed out that equality is a two-way street, that men don’t have the same reproductive rights that women have, and that baby boys aren’t protected from genital mutilation as girls are, with daily violations across the street at Stony Brook Hospital. In her answer she admitted she knew little about the laws regarding genital mutilation in the U.S., but said that FGM is illegal – but not MGM – in her country of South Africa, and she actually promoted the use of MGM for her own sons and the prevention of HIV infection. This from an official of the world’s largest (supposedly) human rights organization. I rebutted her answer by pointing out the obvious hypocrisy and ignorance of these human rights violations just a stones throw away.
There is no evidence that circumcision prevents HIV, but we do know that wearing condoms prevents STDs, making the presence of the foreskin (or clitoral hood) irrelevant.
Before the lecture video, I give my feedback about the day I had, including my visit to a Guerrilla Girls exhibit in the same building and my contribution to it. Enjoy.
