Sunat Perempuan Di Bawah Bayang Bayang Tradisi

26 Juli 2012 - 09:10:00 | admin

Many myths surround female genital cutting among the Madurese that motivate Madurese to carry out this practice. Combined with social pressure on women who have not undergone female genital, this practice is still part of a ritual obligation among most of the Madurese. This research explores (1) female genital cutting among Madurese in Yogyakarta, especially from the technical and variation of female genital cutting, (2) the influence of tetesan (a Javanese version female genital cutting) towards female genital cutting among the Madurese in Yogyakarta, and (3) the implication of female genital cutting from a physiological, psychological, and sociological perspective. The respondents and informants were analyzed based on their profession (trader and intellectuals) to see the differences in their perspectives and attitude towards female genital cutting.

Through a phenomenological approach, data was collected using depth interviews, FGD, and observation. Aside from that, a survey through a questionnaire was also used to collect data. This research found (1) most of the Madurese in Yogyakarta still carry out female genital cutting, where there is a higher tendency for traders to carry out female genital cutting, (2) there was hardly any influence of tetesan towards the practice of female genital cutting among the Madurese in Yogyakarta, especially among those that do not know about tetesan, and (3) most of the respondents who have undergone female genital cutting felt relieved and confident because they do not experience discrimination in the society. This research recommends that there is a need to socialize the importance of understanding ‘healthy’ female genital cutting from a traditional, religious, and reproductive health perspective.

Key word: Genital Cutting, Ritual Obligation, Social Pressure