News Center — The book "Tragedy of the Body" by author Fatemeh Karimi is a deeply researched and essentially humane work that addresses one of the most hidden and cruel forms of violence against women: female genital mutilation.

The author combines precise social analysis with the narration of survivors' lived experiences, opening a window onto a deeply rooted tradition that leaves indelible wounds on women's bodies and souls—wounds whose effects have spanned generations despite the lack of discussion about them.

The book was published in 2010 by Roshanganaran and Women's Studies, and it is the author's first work. It focuses on the phenomenon of FGM in eastern Kurdistan, particularly in Baveh province, based on field interviews with 40 women, revealing the layers of structural and physical violence inflicted upon women in that region.

In 2011, the book won the "Sediqeh Dolatabadi Statue" award as the "Commendable Book of the Year" in the field of women's studies, in recognition of its boldness and research significance.

The book addresses the phenomenon from a multi-dimensional perspective. In its early chapters, the author discusses the history of FGM, its cultural and social roots, and explains the reasons for its persistence, affirming that it is not merely a custom but part of an unequal social structure that perpetuates control over women's bodies.

She also reviews international efforts to combat this practice and discusses its presence in different religions and societies.

In one of the book's most prominent sections, the author draws on the ideas of Lacan, Kristeva, and Foucault to present an in-depth psycho-social analysis revealing the symbolic and authoritarian dimensions embedded in this practice. The book also includes field research findings, data analysis, and practical proposals to confront the phenomenon.

Among the most notable features of "Tragedy of the Body" is that the author does not rely solely on dry numbers and data but turns toward women's lived experiences. The direct interviews with affected women, and the narration of the details of their lives, their pains, their fears, and the physical and psychological effects left by this practice, give the book a deep and moving human dimension, transforming it from an academic study into a living testimony of silent suffering.

In the end, the book demonstrates that FGM is not merely an individual or family matter, but a social and structural phenomenon rooted in culture, religion, and power relations, leaving deep and long-lasting effects on women's lives.