Based on rule utilitarianism (RU) and the ethical principle of beneficence, Medicin Sans Frontiers (MSF) should refrain from providing sterile equipment to community leaders in the country that practices female genital mutilation (FGM). The beneficence principle posits that acting in a manner that produces benefits for the person is right and morally justified. In line with the RU framework, offering no equipment will provide a greater good than complying with community leaders’ requests, as it will maintain procedural barriers to FGM.
Providing sterile equipment would produce no support for the affected population, such as female children and young women in the African country in question, thus being incompatible with the considerations of beneficence. FGM is very dangerous for women’s lives and cannot be justified by women belonging to specific denominations (Varkey, 2021). FGM is anticipated to make female infidelity impossible, thus protecting circumcised women’s husbands from disappointment (Chervenak & McCullough, 2022). Offering the requested equipment would mean supporting those performing the procedure and enabling them to circumcise more women because the fear of infectious complications is removed.
In line with the beneficence principle, MSF should openly refuse to provide equipment for FGM and instead spread accurate health-related information to support and protect those affected by the procedure. The organization’s refusal would show no support for the inhumane procedure, meaning that community leaders will be more reluctant to perform it because of the fear of causing complications/infections and being held liable for the unintended outcomes. With the right anti-FGM education, the proportion of uncircumcised women in the country’s communities will increase, making it a new norm and saving women from health challenges associated with it. The system of cultural values of these peoples must change from the attitude towards women in general to erotic criteria. Concerning persistent crippling traditions, such as female circumcision, we must try to find the right way to protect women from unnecessary interventions.
References
Chervenak, F. A., & McCullough, L. B. (2022). Professional ethics and decision making in perinatology. Seminars in Perinatology, 46(3). Web.
Varkey, B. (2021). Principles of clinical ethics and their application to practice. Medical Principles and Practice, 30(1), 17-28. Web.