Female Genital Mutilation and Human Rights in Uganda. Th e Nexus between the Cultural and Universal Norms in Uganda .......... 505

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is the maiming of the clitoris and vital parts of the virginal opening as a ritual to initiate young girls into womanhood. Whereas Human Rights (HR) as in the perspectives of International Law are those norms embedded in treaties and other forms of international law that requires states or other actors to protect, ensure or recognize certain rights posed equally by all people. In Uganda, one repugnant culture of the Sabiny who live in Sebei District (Eastern Uganda) are still engaged in the practice of mutilating the genital parts of young girls of 10 years and above as opposed to Civil Society Organizations (CSO’s) that monitor HR in Uganda. Notably, much as CSO’s and the Government pronounced FGM among the Sabiny as a gross Human Rights violation of article 5 of the UDHR (1948) that stipulates; non subjec-tion to torture etc., but the same declaration, article 27 (1) gives the Sabiny right to practice their cultural norms. With the September 13th 2007 UN Resolution (61/295) recognizing Indigenous knowledge as a source of knowledge, FGM among the Sabiny people is there-fore a knowledge that is enthusiastically accepted by the females a cultural right.Methodology was based on empirical data; the study employed controlled comparison of selected cases to assess the theoretical and practical perspectives and some hypotheses, selected cases included some primary and secondary actors involved in FGM and nota-bly the Sabiny people, CSO’s, Faith Based Institutions, Intergovernmental Organizations, Politicians and the government of Uganda. Purposively, respondents, key informants, elite interviewees and documentary analyses were used. Data was collected through admin-istering questionnaires, conversations, interviews, local, national newspapers, participate journals and memoires, scholarly sources, CSO reports were used to ensure a balanced comprehensive coverage in investigating verifiable facts over interpretations and analysis in order to assembly records of the nexus between the variables under study.Based on the evidence, the findings realized a major clash between cultural and uni-versal norms coupled with some contradictions in understanding the concept of Human Rights. For instance, more than 70% of the females in Sabiny are willing to participate in the FGM since to them it’s an initiation from a girl to womanhood. On the other hand, the Sabiny men are more fascinated to love and marry ladies whose genitals are mutilated. However, non-Sabiny and CSO’s are the only critical parties to the practice with a less inter-est in understanding the dimensions of Sabiny culture. Furthermore, to the Sabiny, FGM is not different from male circumcision. Some argue that, it’s a Right of the community to practice their cultures irrespective of how nauseating it may appeal to other societies.In conclusion, globalization may have set standards of how people are to be treated and relate but in reference to the case study which was comparatively premeditated and analyzed by the researcher. It’s therefore prudent to assert that “one person’s meat is another person’s poison”. Therefore it is paramount that in Africa, HRE should be advocated for communities to understand their Rights.