Female genital mutilation is a procedure performed on a woman or girl to alter or injure her genitalia for non-medical reasons. It most often involves the partial or total removal of her external genitalia.
The reasons behind the practice vary. In some cases, it is seen as a rite of passage into womanhood, while others see it as a way to suppress a woman’s sexuality. Many communities practise genital mutilation in the belief that it will ensure a girl’s future marriage or family honour. Some associate it with religious beliefs, although no religious scriptures require it.
The most severe form is infibulation, also known as ‘Pharaonic’ circumcision. The procedure consists of clitoridectomy (where all or part of the clitoris is removed), excision (removal of all or part of the labia minora), and cutting of the labia majora to create raw surface, which are then stitched or held together in order to form a cover over the vagina. When they heal, a small hole is left to allow urine and menstrual blood to escape. There is a traditional belief that an unmodified clitoris can lead to masturbation or lesbianism.
“A woman who is not circumcised is a dog and in the olden days was a slave”, declares a well-known Nigerian traditional female circumciser, Stella Omorogie from Edo State.
Religious belief also served as one of the reasons why FGC is being done to many victims.
The practice of FGC is high in Nigeria with one-quarter of the global estimates occurring in the country, and it cuts across all socio-cultural and geo-political zones in the country. The current national prevalence of FGC among women of reproductive age stood at 20 percent and 19 percent among daughters less than 14 years of age, with the highest prevalence among adult women (35%) found in the South East, followed by South West (30%) and lowest in the North East (6%) region of the country.
Oniyinye Edeh, a journalist who carried out research on Female Genital Mutilation in Osun State published an article in 2017 titled “Power, authority and the will to change: Female genital mutilation in Nigeria’s Osun state”.
The research shows that Osun State also has the highest number of women and girls who have undergone female genital mutilation in Nigeria with (76.6%), followed by Ebonyi (74.2%) and Ekiti (72.3%). It’s no better with urbanization; 32% of urban women are circumcised compared to 19.3% of rural women.
Female genital mutilation locally known as Abe Dida in Nigeria has a prevalence rate of 76.6 percent. Despite that alarming statistic, many Nigerians are not even aware the decades-old practice still takes place.
In Osun, it is a socio-cultural and religious (Islamic) practice that typically takes place eight days after the birth of a female child. Until 2015 when the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) initiated a Joint Program on FGM. However, not much attention had been given to eliminating the practice, despite a state “Female Circumcision and Genital Mutilation Prohibition Law” passed in 2004.
Across Nigeria, a national Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) law bans the practice of FGM. But again, enforcement remains a major challenge, compounded by cultural and economic factors.
The Osun State law prohibiting FGM has been in existence since 2004, but many indigenous people were not aware of it until 2016, when they learned about it thanks to the UNICEF-UNFPA anti-FGM advocacy activities. Efforts of local NGOs are also yielding fruits by raising more awareness.
It is, however sad to know that it is mainly international donors like the UNFPA, not the state government, that has continued to fund advocacy and elimination projects.
People found guilty of violating the state’s FGM prohibition law are subject to a year in prison, a fine of N50,000 or both on first conviction. On second conviction, both numbers double. But Freelanews noted with dismay that the law has done very little to stop the practice. And despite the widespread practice of FGM in many communities, no cases have been reported.
FGM is driven by societal pressure and lack of proper education; sensitization and advocacy efforts must be channeled at the community level, especially in hard-to-reach areas where tradition dominates.
Despite the growing awareness of the health risks and legal stance against FGM, many women lack the power and authority to challenge tradition.
If more women condemn the practice (because mothers and mothers-in-law are the ones who typically take girls to be mutilated), FGM can be eliminated.
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