GCSJ seminar series: Mothers, boys' circumcision and a new politics of harm in Kenya

Speaker: Mark Lamont Lecturer in Sustainable Development, School of Social Sciences & Global Studies Development

We explore how Kenyan mothers are becoming involved in male circumcision, which is usually a men-only space. After prominent cases of bullying and murder during circumcision, women want to make the process safer and free from violence. They also want to promote alternative cultural practices in their clans and communities. Mothers join discussions on gender violence and bodily integrity to challenge existing cultural practices. Mothers, by providing food, play a key role in male authority over circumcision and cultural practices. This chapter draws upon Wendy Brown’s argument that a sense of woundedness can be the basis for identity. The talk examines new ideas about cultural rights, genital cutting, and harm in the law and ethics in Kenya.

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