Women Should Undergo FGM Because Men Are ‘Sexually Weak,’ Egyptian Lawmaker Says

An Egyptian politician said that girls in his country should have to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM) because Egyptian men are “sexually weak” and can’t control their own sex drives.

Elhamy Agina, a lawmaker in Egypt’s parliament, voted against a bill in parliament last month that would increase FGM from a misdemeanor crime to a felony and increase its potential punishment.

The bill passed, but Agina explained to reporters that he voted the way he did because of Egyptian men’s “sexual weakness.” He also said women need to reduce their own sexual appetites, the BBC reported.

“I rejected this law because if we stop FGM operations we will need sexually strong men," said Agina. “As we know, most of Egypt's men are sexually weak and Egypt is at the top of countries consuming drugs that enhance sexual performance.”

Egyptian MP sparks outrage after rejecting tougher penalties for FGM, saying half of country's men "are impotent" https://t.co/RIHn1e4tXH
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He said women should undergo FGM to reduce their own sexual appetite. He reiterated the comments this week, telling reporters his opinion was based on “scientific facts,” according to Ahram.

"This is a scientific fact based on research. Fifty per cent of Egyptian men are sexually impotent. This is a disease," Agina said, according to the BBC.

Egyptian news website Ahram Online reported today that Agina is expected to be investigated by the parliament's ethics board after receiving hundreds of complaints from fellow lawmakers and citizens over his comments.

FGM was banned in Egypt in 2008, but the practice remains enormously popular there: Egypt is home to nearly a quarter of the more than 200 million FGM survivors in the world. Egypt’s health minister said last month that 91 percent of girls still receive the practice, known as female circumcision.

The procedure is often intended to prevent women from becoming aroused or experiencing pleasure from sex, and can include sewing the vaginal opening shut or cutting off parts of the vagina.

The practice is typically performed on young girls and can lead to pain, infections, excessive bleeding, and death.

In 2015, Egypt convicted and sentenced an FGM practitioner for the first time. Medical doctor Raslan Fadl was found guilty of manslaughter for a procedure that led to the death of a 13-year-old girl. He was sentenced to two years and three months in prison but served just three months before being released, according to The Guardian.

TopicsFGM (Female Genital Mutilation)Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)