Female genital mutilation which is an age-long practice in remote communities across the country is still being practised largely in many parts of the South-west states especially Oyo. BAYO AGBOOLA writes on efforts to curb the menace.
All roads led to Ibadan Business School on Thursday, November 25 this year as stakeholders including journalists from both the print and electronic media stormed the place to deliberate and brainstorm on ways of putting a lasting end to the age long practice of female genital mutilation.This practice till date stands as one of the old inimical practices which constituted major threat to humanity particularly the women and the girls in the society especially in the South-west part of Nigeria in particular.The age-long phenomena, no doubt, is a major health concern to the entire world mostly those in the heath sector. It is therefore on record that the practice is still prominent in states in the South-western part of Nigeria with Oyo, Osun and Ekiti states at a glance.
Giving the breakdown
The executive director, HACEY Health Initiative, Ms Rhoda Robinson in a publication circulated at the forum tagged ‘The Stopcut Project, Partnering to end Female Genital Mutilation’ stated that over 20 million women and girls living in Nigeria have been subjected to mutilation which according to her stands as a harmful practice and a violation of their right to health, right to life, right to be free from torture and cruelty amongst others.”Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. Over 20 million women and girls living in Nigeria have been subjected to this harmful practice which is a violation of their right to health, right to life, right to be free from torture and cruelty amongst others. FGM leads to a variety of risks and complications affecting women and girls’ physical, mental and sexual health throughout her life course.”According to Robinson in the paper, “Some of these risks range from mild to life threatening including severe and chronic pain, excessive bleeding, (hemorrhage), shock, genital tissue swelling, infections, reproductive health issues, child birth complications, anxiety disorder and depression.” She said that Stopcut on its part is promoting the effective implementation of laws and policies that protect women and girls from Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and increases community engagement and advocacy towards ending FGM. Speaking further she said, “The project works in local communities in the highest FGM prevalence states in South-west Nigeria to reach policymakers, state governments, law enforcers, the media, religious and community leaders, women and girls, men and boys as stakeholders in advocating for an end to female genital mutilation.”
As a challenge to stakeholders
Robinson during the forum represented by Olawatomi Olunuga of HACEY tasked relevant stakeholders including the legislature, parents and religious organisations to be involved in combating violence against women in Nigeria said, “The United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is observed every November 25 and it aims at creating awareness for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls and FGM is one of such violence against women and girls.”She added that Oyo, Osun and Ekiti states have keyed into the project to eradicate female genital mutilation.”We have carried out a research study on FGM in the South-west. It was carried out in FGM prevalent states in South-west Nigeria states of Ekiti, Osun and Oyo.”
State gov’t up against menace
Oyo State government on its part towards putting a final stop to the menace hinted of its readiness to arrest and prosecute erring offenders caught in the act with the state commissioner for health, Dr Bode Ladipo stressed that the state government is set to arrest perpetrators of female genital mutilation in and across the state.
Dr Ladipo maintained that already, the state government has put in place measures to reduce the prevalence of female genital mutilation in the state, saying that it is time for residents of the state to desist from it while admitting that female genital mutilation is one of the traditional practices that is harmful to the female folk and that the psychological trauma arising from the practice among women cannot be quantified.
Speaking further he said, “Female genital mutilation is harmful. We understand that Oyo state has the highest rate after Lagos state in the South-west. It is one of the harmful traditional practices. The effect of FGM on women cannot be quantified. That is why we are saying that parents should not do it again. In Oyo state, the rate is high, but recently it has reduced. We are taking a decisive decision against it. There are laws; it is not that there are no laws. It is the implementation that we all need. We need our law enforcement officers to enforce the laws.”
Other stakeholders condemn act
The 2021 Miss Nigeria, Nkiruka Sandra Eze who is also the ambassador of HACEY Health Initiative while kicking against the practice of female genital mutilation said it has contributed to the death of many girl-child in Nigeria and vowed to ensure that every energy is put into the advocacy to end the mutilation and what she called violence against women.Sandra, a 300-level student in the Department of Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ibadan warned those involved in the practice to desist because of the numerous negative consequences, adding that she would keep on working hard to ensure that the deadly practice became a thing of the past, saying, she is not only committed to ongoing advocacy to end FGM, but to be a voice to every girl child, every FGM survivor and also those who have died to this practice.
“We should let them know that they didn’t die for nothing. We are going to keep on working hard; we are going to keep on doing what it takes to put an end to this practice. We are not going to think that there wouldn’t be an end to this practice, no matter how long it takes; we will never get tired. I am actually very happy to be part of this movement. And I am ready to fight this cause no matter how long it would take.”
In the determination towards achieving its set goals of putting a stop to female genital mutilation, StopCut has since 2020 worked collaboratively with key stakeholders towards achieving its overall goal of protecting women and girls from female genital mutilation by contributing to knowledge-base on FGM in Nigeria by understanding the current state of female genital mutilation in local communities, supports effective planning, decision making and action in promoting an end to FGM.
Other key activities of the StopCut in the battle against female genital mutilation are strengthening capacities to end FGM, building partnerships, promoting policy change and actions at all levels, supporting community efforts to end FGM, creating tools for advocacy as well as into action to end FGM such as creation of structures that monitor the implementation of laws on reported cases of FGM, review state laws and policies against FGM to mandate reporting, provide stricter penalties, encourage whistle blowing and protect whistleblowers, survivors and their families.
Also, its other actions to end FGM included to champion campaigns activities to put an end to FGM, including making public statements to show commitment to the abolition of FGM, ensure continuous sensitisation on ending FGM via traditional and online media platforms, participate in public discussion, high level political forums and community dialogues to create awareness on FGM and promote key strategies for ending FGM, engage non-governmental organisations and civil society organisations in policy creation and review to ensure protection of the rights and health of women and girls, support state and local technical working group on FGM to effectively carry out interventions as well as establish dedicated support services for the health and well-being of survivors of female genital mutilation.
