The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has decried the rising cases of female genital mutilation (FGM) or circumcision among Nigerian girls aged 0-14. In commemoration of this year’s International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Peter Hawkins, stated that Nigeria, with about 19.9 million survivors, accounts for the third highest number of women and girls, who have been circumcised globally.
Also, about 68 million girls worldwide were said to be at risk of FGM in 15 years or between 2015 and 2030. According to Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) figures, the national prevalence of FGM among women in Nigeria aged 15-49 dropped from 25 per cent in 2013 to 20 per cent in 2018.
Similarly, the prevalence among girls aged 0-14 rose from 16.9 per cent to 19.2 per cent during the period under review. State prevalence, UNICEF says, ranges from 62 per cent in Imo State to less than one per cent in Adamawa and Gombe states.
The South East has the highest prevalence of FGM at 35 per cent, the South West 30 per cent and the North East, the lowest at six per cent. FGM is reportedly highly prevalent in Ebonyi, Ekiti, Imo, Osun and Oyo states. It is estimated that about three million girls and women would have been circumcised in these states in the last five years. Hawkins also lamented that “millions of girls are being robbed of their livelihoods, health, education, and aspirations every day by harmful practices such as FGM.”
He reiterated that “the practice of FGM not only has no health benefits, it is deeply harmful to girls and women, both physically and psychologically. It is a practice that has no place in our society today and must be ended, as many Nigerian communities have already pledged to do.”
According to World Health Organisation (WHO) fact sheets, FGM involves the partial or total removal of external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. The practice has no health benefits for girls and women and it can cause severe bleeding and problems urinating, and later cysts, infections, as well as complications in childbirth and increased risk of newborn deaths.
Over 200 million girls alive today have undergone FGM in 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where FGM is practised. The procedure is mostly carried out on young girls between infancy and age 15. Since it is also a violation of the human rights of girls and women, FGM must be discouraged. It is sad that there is greater involvement of health care providers in the harmful practice, which is known as ‘medicalisation.’ We agree with the WHO that FGM reflects deep-rooted inequality between the sexes, and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against girls and women.
However, it is gratifying to note that the WHO is opposed to all types of FGM, and is opposed to health care providers performing it. Available evidence shows that the treatment of the health complications of FGM in 27 high prevalence countries is estimated to cost $1.4 billion per year and is projected to rise to $2.3 billion by 2047 if no action is taken now to stop it worldwide.
We bemoan the rising cases of FGM among Nigerian girls and women in spite of its harmful effects. The time has come to ban the cultural practice that has no health benefits. Since female circumcision in Nigeria is generally carried out by traditional practitioners, the sensitisation campaigns against it must be extended to the rural communities. Such campaigns should involve traditional, religious and community leaders for them to be effective.
The practice of FGM must be stopped because it neither stops promiscuity nor does it beautify the female genitalia as erroneously believed by some Nigerian ethnic groups. We urge the governors of the states where the practice of FGM is highly prevalent to evolve workable strategies to eliminate it. In fact, these states should lead the campaign of zero tolerance for FGM in the country. The practice of FGM is still a sign of underdevelopment. Therefore, the government must wield the big stick against those involved in the practice in order to achieve the zero tolerance for FGM.
SUN NEWS
