Sat. Dec 3, 2022 3:25 PM - 5:05 PM F206 (Build. F)

Chair:Yufu Iguchi(Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University) Discussant:Abdul Rashid(RCSI & UCD Malaysia Campus)

This panel examines the practices of female genital cutting (FGC) in areas that scholars have not focused on. Compared to Africa, Southeast Asian countries and destination countries for immigrants have not been focused upon in the study of FGC. This panel’s presenters report on the practices of FGC in minority communities and immigrant communities and argue them from the viewpoints of cultural and religious meanings, women’s consciousness and decisions, and the relations with the majority communities. Rashid discusses the situation of FGC among Cham Muslims in Cambodia, based on a mixed-methods study. Iguchi, examining the practice of FGC among Cham Muslims in Vietnam, explores the cultural and religious meanings of the practice. Afiqah focuses on Cham Muslim immigrant communities in Malaysia and discusses their practice of FGC in terms of the process of assimilation to the Malay majority. Miyachi, drawing attention to Australia, discusses two issues, female genital mutilation (FGM) in immigrant communities and female genital cosmetic surgery (FGCS) in terms of women’s decision-making on their bodies.