ERADICATING FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION IN NIGERIA


Female genital mutilation (FGM) is widely known in Nigeria as female circumcision. It has been defined in various ways, especially by health and human rights-related supranational organisations like the World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). According to the UNICEF (2018), FGM “comprises all surgical procedures involving partial or total removal of the external genitalia or other injuries to the female genital organs for cultural or other non-therapeutic reasons”. Even though it is prevalent in Africa, WHO (2018) states that the practice is a globally recognized way of violating human rights of girls and women. It is a double jeopardy in Nigeria; FGM is mostly carried out by traditional circumcisers, who use medically unhygienic tools and methods.
FGM is categorised into four; clitoridectomy or “Sunna” (partial or total removal of the clitoris), excision (partial or total removal of the clitoris and the labia minora, with or without the removal of labia majora), infibulation or “Pharaonic” (narrowing of the vaginal opening by creating a covering seal through the repositioning of the labia minora, labia majora or stitching with or without removal of the clitoris) and other harmful procedures like pricking, piercing and incision of the clitoris and/or labia, stretching and/or cutting of the vagina (‘gishiri’), scraping of tissue surrounding the vaginal opening (‘angurya’) and cauterization (WHO, 2018; Epundu, Ilika, Ibeh, Nwabueze, Emelumadu, Nnebue, 2018). Studies have demonstrated that carrying out any of these types of FGM on girls and women is motivated by various reasons. However, FGM is motivated by sociocultural factors rooted in quest for acceptance and conformity (Epundu, Ilika, Ibeh, Nwabueze, Emelumadu, Nnebue, 2018; Okeke, Anyaehie and Ezenyeaku, 2012) by the victims’ parents, not considering the effects on their daughters. This thus attests to why FGM constitutes violation of human rights of girls and women.
In the past, Nigeria had the highest absolute number of cases of FGM in the world; about one quarter of the estimated 115-130 million circumcised women globally (Okeke, Anyaehie and Ezenyeaku, 2012; UNICEF, 2018). If between 2012 and 2018, Nigeria seizes to be the global headquarters of FGM, efforts put in place to achieve this should be intensified. Civil society organizations should take the opportunity of International Day for Zero Tolerance for FGM on 6th February every year to enlighten Nigerians on the evils of female circumcision. Since ignorance of the effect of FGM seems to make it flourish among Nigerians, especially in the rural communities, parents should be enlightened about the National Policy and Plan of Action for the Elimination of FGM that outlaws female circumcision in the country. Constant nationwide awareness should be created among them (parents), especially emphasizing what their daughters would think of them (parents) in the future when they (daughters) realized the damage they (parents) have caused them (daughters) through FGM. If the reduction of FGM could be done between 2012 and 2018, it can be totally eradicated in the nearest future; it only demands actions from all of us. CWIDI have successfully established men Watch dog committee on Gender base violence in Paiko, Pako, Paso Gwani and Momo Sabo communities of FCT Abuja Nigeria.

Notes
WHO (2018) is titled “Female genital mutilation” and it is accessible at http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/female-genital-mutilation. Other facts about FGM in Nigeria, especially statistical data, are available in UNICEF (2018); it is titled “Nigeria: Female genital mutilation”. It is available at https://www.unicef.org/nigeria/FGM_.pdf. Other studies quoted have been published in journal; Epundu, U.U., Ilika, A.L., Ibeh, C. C., Nwabueze, A. S., Emelumadu, O. F. and Nnebue, C. C. (2018). The epidemiology of female genital mutilation in Nigeria - a twelve year review. Afrimedic Journal, 6 (1): 1-1; also available at https://www.ajol.info/index.php/afrij/article/download/170215/159650. Okeke, T. C., Anyaehie, U.S. B. and Ezenyeaku, C. C. K. (2012). An overview of female genital mutilation in Nigeria. Annals of Medical Health Sciences Research, 2(1), 70-73; also available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3507121/.


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