Female genital mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures that involve the partial or total removal of the female genitalia for non-medical reasons. It most often involves the removal of girls and women external genitalia, and is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights, the health and integrity of girls and women. Girls who undergo female genital mutilation face short term complications such as severe pain, shock, excessive bleeding, infections and difficulty in passing urine as well as long term consequences for their sexual and reproductive health and mental health. Long term female genital mutilation complications leads to physical and psychological consequences. Medical complications include; urinary problems, vaginal problems, menstrual problems, pelvic pain, sexual dysfunction, depression, anxiety, painful intercourse, obsteric complication, painful labour, severe pain, prolonged bleeding, infection, infertility and even death. It can also lead to an increased risk of HIV transmission.
In 2012, the United Nations General Assembly designated February 6th as the international day of zero tolerance for female genital mutilation (FGM) with the aim to amplify and direct the efforts on the elimination of this practice globally. Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a universal problem that is practiced in countries around the world. The sustainable development goal agenda 2030, target 5.2 is on the elimination of all harmful practices on girls and women including female genital mutilation (FGM). The theme for the 2022 international day of zero tolerance for female genital mutilation is "Accelerating investment to end female genital mutilation" with an hastag #lnvestDontRest. Female genital mutilation is an age long traditional and cultural practice that has been around for more than a thousand years. The number of girls at risk keep growing. The number of girls who have undergone female genital mutilation threatens to rise from 4.2million in 2021 to 4.6million by 2030. The United Nations is making concerted effort for its full eradication by 2030.
A WOMAN UNDERGOING FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM).
Over 200million girls and women alive today have experienced female genital mutilation. In 2021, an estimated 4.2million girls are at risk of being cut. ( source: UNICEF). In 25 countries where female genital mutilation is routinely practiced and data are available, an estimated 68million girls and women will be cut between 2015 and 2030 unless concerted and accelerated action is taken. Due to covid-19 related programme disruptions, UNFPA estimated that 2million more cases of female genital mutilation that could have otherwise been averted will occur over the next decade.
A YOUNG GIRL UNDERGOING FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM).
Around 1 in 4 girls and women who have undergone female genital mutilation, or 52million female genital mutilation survivors worldwide were cut by health personnel, according to a new analysis of UNICEF. This proportion is twice as high among adolescents, 34% of female genital mutilation victims 15 - 19 years of age have undergone medicalized female genital mutilation, compared to 16% of victims 45 - 49 years of age, indicating growth in the medicalization of the practice, according to the analysis released on international day of zero tolerance for female genital mutilation. The growth in the medicalization of female genital mutilation stems from a misguided belief that the dangers of female genital mutilation are medical, rather than a fundamental violation of a girls rights. Medicalizing the practice of female genital mutilation does not eliminate the danger it poses to girls and women as it still removes and damages healthy and normal tissues and interferes with the natural functions of a girls body. Data found that 18% of girls under the age of 15 who undergone female genital mutilation had the procedure performed by a healthcare provider. Even when performed by medical practitioners, female genital mutilation is a violation of human rights of girls and women.
TRADITIONAL CRUDE INSTRUMENTS USED IN PERFORMING FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM).
Some of the many tools used for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), includes razor, scapel, pieces of glass, special knives and even scissors. Sometimes these tools are unsterilized and anaesthetics and antiseptics are not used in the procedures. I continue to advocate for the end of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and other harmful practices and gender based violence (GBV) against girls and women in Nigeria, Africa and around the world.
Medicalized female genital mutilation or any female genital mutilation performed by any category of health care provider, in a public or private clinic, at home or elsewhere is extremely common in Egypt and Sudan, for example, where almost 8 in 10 girls were cut by medical personnel. The trend towards medicalized female genital mutilation comes in the face of growing opposition to the practice globally. In the last two decades, the proportion of girls and women in high prevalence countries who want the practice to stop has doubled, according to the new analysis. Adolescent girls are more likely than older women to oppose the practice, according to the analysis. In Egypt, sierra Leone and Guinea, adolescent girls are at least 50% more likely than older women to oppose female genital mutilation. Female genital mutilation is rooted in gender inequalities and the first step in ending it is in changing people's minds. Female genital mutilation endangers the health of women and girls and can lead to long term physical, psychological and social consequences. Female genital mutilation has no health benefits for girls and women, but causes only harm and underlying health implications for those who are cut. It must never to be performed. The practice carries many health risks, including death as well as physical and psychological pain. World health organization (WHO) strongly urges health professionals not to perform such procedures.
OINTMENTS USED BY TRADITIONAL BIRTH ATTENDANTS IN PERFORMING FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM).
People often think female genital mutilation is only practiced in Africa. It's not, female genital mutilation is practiced all over the world, including in some communities in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe. It transcends geographic and socio-economic boundaries. To promote the elimination of female genital mutilation, coordinated and systematic efforts are needed, and they must engage the whole communities and focus on human rights, gender equality, sexual education and attention to the needs of women and girls who suffer from its consequences. Female genital mutilation in some cases is seen as a rite of passage of young girls and women into womanhood, while other see it as a way to suppress a woman's sexuality. Many communities practice female 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 requires it. Female genital mutilation has no religious foundation. Motivations range from psycho sexual (controlling women's sexuality) to cultural, aesthetic and economic factors. More and more religious practitioners are joining programmes and campaign calls for an abandonment of the practice in their communities.
SOME OF THE HARMFUL PRACTICES AGAINST GIRLS AND WOMEN GLOBALLY.
Around the world there are various cultural, religious norms and traditional harmful practices that are being practiced as a cultural, religious and traditional rites to appeased the gods as ancestral beliefs that violates the rights of girls and women and their bodily autonomy. Here below are some of these harmful practices;
BREAST IRONING - ONE OF THE HARMFUL PRACTICES AGAINST GIRLS AND WOMEN.
According to the United Nations (UN) breast ironing affects 3.8 million women globally. The use of hot object to flatten the breast of young girls to delay or reduce the size of their breasts is a form of gender based violence (GBV) and a violation of girl's human rights and bodily autonomy. I stand against this act and seek your support to eradicate the harmful practice of breast ironing anywhere in the world.
TRADITIONAL BIRTH ATTENDANT (TBA) PRACTICE.
Most of the traditional birth attendants lacks the professional expertise and the know-how to handle complications associated with pregnancies and labour and as such leaves the patient (pregnant mother's) at the mercy of God, in between life and death. Some of them carry out these practice in a very unhealthy and unhygienic place with no sterilized and modern medical equipments. This leaves the women to be at the receiving end and very vulnerable to high mortality of child and maternal death.
FORCEFUL SHAVING OF HAIR OF A BEREAVED WIDOW AS A CULTURAL NORM - ONE OF THE HARMFUL PRACTICES AGAINST WOMEN IN SOME COMMUNITIES IN NIGERIA.
Many young women in Nigeria have been subjected to this inhuman treatment of forcefully shaving their hair as a mark of honour to mourn their late husbands as a mourning rite. In some cultures, it is performed on bereaved women to ascertain their level of fidelity to their late husbands whether they know anything leading to the death of their spouses. Some cultures also perform the rite of washing the decomposing body of the late husband and the water given to the bereaved woman to drink all in the name of of trying to confirm the innocence of the woman. These harmful traditional practices are commonly practised in the southeast and south south regions of Nigeria. These traditional practices on women are barbaric, dehumanizing and must be stopped.
STOP CHILD MARRIAGE, EVERY GIRL HAS THE RIGHT TO BE A GIRL AND NOT BRIDE.
Each year, 12 million girls are married before they turn age 18, meaning every minute, 28 more girls have their futures cut short.
- More than 650 million women alive today were married as children. 1 in every 5 girls is married, or in union, before reaching age 18.
- ln a pandemic where schools are shut down and families struggle to make ends meet, this boil down to more #childmarriage.
- Child marriage: Ends childhood
Cuts her education
Increases risk of violence.
(Sources: UNICEF & UNFPA).
FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM).
TYPE 1 (CLITORIDECTOMY) : This is the partial or total removal of the clitoral glans (the external and visible part of the clitoris) and /or the prepuce/clitoralhood (the fold of skin surrounding the clitoral glans).
TYPE 11 (EXCISION) : This is the partial or total removal of the clitoral glans and the labia minora (the inner folds of the vulva) with or without the removal of the labia majora (the outerfolds of skin of the vulva).
TYPE 111 (INFIBULATION) : This is the narrowing of the vaginal opening through the creation of a covering seal. The seal is formed by cutting and repositioning the labia minora, or labia majora, sometimes through stitching, with or without the removal of the clitoral prepuce/clitoralhood and glans.
TYPE 1V (UNCLASSIFIED) : This includes all other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purpose.
TYPE 1 (CLITIRIDECTOMY) TYPE 11 (EXCISION) AND TYPE 111 (INFIBULATION) OF FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM).
TYPE 111 OF FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM) ( INFIBULATION).
In conclusion, to stem the tide of female genital mutilation and nip it in the bud, government at all levels must enact and enforce laws that criminalizes female genital mutilation as an act setting different terms of punishment for perpetrators of this inhuman act to serve as deterrent to others. Government through her agencies must carry out massive and aggressive community level sensitization and awareness campaigns through partnerships with local civil society organizations (CSOs) community based organizations (CBOs) religious bodies, community and youth leaders, women leaders, elders and traditional rulers at the community level to amplify voices for the eradication of the practice of female genital mutilation. Culture change is possible, l and my team will work assiduously to ensure that the goal of eradicating female genital mutilation in Nigeria and globally is achieved by 2030. Children and young people living for peace (CYPLP) supports a range of programmes to prevent female genital mutilation in Nigeria and across the globe to better serve survivors. Children and young people living for peace (CYPLP) will continue to work with policy makers, religious leaders, women movements, youth organizations and activists from around the world to ensure that every girl and woman lives a life free from violence and harmful practices.
In my quest and commitment to ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Nigeria, l enrolled for a training course program, the African Youth Virtual Academy to further broaden my knowledge, upskill my expertise on ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) to scale up my advocacy campaigns for more visibility to put an end to this agelong harmful traditional practice against girls and women in Nigeria and globally.
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION - AFRICAN YOUTH VIRTUAL ACADEMY COURSE ON ENDING FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM) 7TH JULY, 2022.
IAM TAKING ACTION ONLINE TO END FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM) IN NIGERIA.
I SAY NO TO GENDER BASED VIOLENCE (GBV) IN NIGERIA. (ONLINE CAMPAIGN INFOGRAPHICS).
WE ALL MUST RALLY SUPPORT AND PUSH FOR LEGISLATIONS TO END GENDER BASED VIOLENCE (GBV) IN NIGERIA.
TERMINOLOGIES ASSOCIATED WITH GENDER BASED VIOLENCE (GBV).
▪ Gender - this refers to the social and biological differences between men and women.
▪ Gender Based Violence (GBV) - violence directed against a person based on the gender differences between males and females. It includes acts that inflict physical, mental or sexual harm and occur in family too, including battering, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse of children in household, marital rape, female genital mutilation, harmful widowhood practices and other traditional practices harmful to women.
▪ Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) - physical, sexual and/or psychological violence which may include rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment and sexual intimidation in the work place and in institutions of learning, trafficking in women and children, sexual slavery and forced prostitution.
▪ Sexual Assault - a non consensual contact that does
not include penetration. E.g attempted rape, unwanted kissing, unwanted fondling and unwanted touching of the genitalia, buttocks and breasts.
▪ Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) - an act of cutting part of a female genital organ, mostly for cultural or religious purposes. FGM is a criminal offense in Nigeria.
▪ Consent - the permission of an individual who has the legal capacity to give consent. To give consent to sexual activity, the individual must have the capacity and maturity to know about and understand the activity and be legally able to give their consent. Parents/caregivers are typically responsible for giving consent to their child receiving services until the child reaches 18 years of age. Persons who are mentally incapacitated are considered incapable of legally being able to give consent even if they are above 18.
▪ Perpetrator - person, group, or institution that directly inflicts or otherwise support violence or other abuse inflicted on another against his/her will.
▪ Survivor - the person harmed or injured as a result of the sexually violent act perpetrated by another but is now dealing with the aftermath of the event.
▪ Psycho Social Support - support that aims to promote survivor's wellbeing and or prevent mental disorder.
#EndFGM #EndCuttingGirls #Act2EndFGM #AcceleratinglnvestmentToEndFGM #EndGBV #EndGenderBasedViolence #lnvestDontRest #GlobalGoals #SDGs #SDG5 #Agenda2030 #SDG2030 #SDGgoal #unschools #unicefnigeria #unicefafrica #UNICEF #UNFPA #Cyplp #euinnigeria #usinnigeria #ukinnigeria #eu_partnership #japan_in nigeria #UNFPANigeria #UNFPA #NigerianMedicalAssociation #WorldHealthOrganization #unitednations.
A BRIEF PERSONAL BACKGROUND OF ENOBONG EKWERE ( END FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM) AND GIRL'S RIGHTS ADVOCATE IN NIGERIA).
Comrade Enobong Ekwere is a social influencer, blogger, vlogger, human rights activist, peace practitioner, SDGs advocate and a global citizen. He is the program manager of children and young people living for peace (CYPLP), an organic, volunteer of experts, youth focused and a think-tank non-governmental organization based in Kaduna state, Nigeria. A Higher National Diploma (HND) graduate of Public Administration (Upper Credit) from the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger state, Nigeria. Enobong Ekwere holds a proficiency certificate in management from the Nigerian Institute of Management, Chartered (NIM) Lagos, Nigeria. He is also a graduate member of the institute (Associate member in view). He works with young people in local communities across Nigeria localizing the sustainable development goals (SDGs) (SDG4 and SDG5 in particular) and positive peace frameworks in Nigeria, accelerating action online and offline, engaging duty bearers and policymakers to be accountable for it's implementation by 2030. He is a strong advocate of girls and women's rights, good governance and democracy, accountability in government, freedom of information, access to information, free press, social justice and social inclusion. As a youth advocate and a global leader who loves to see social reforms in the society, he uses his personalized blog to write compelling stories on developmental and topical issues on national and global concern that shapes and transform people's lives and impact the larger society for knowledge transfer and lifelong learning. He engages in community service and volunteerism, community outreach, social mobilization and advocacy tours to hard to reach local communities in Nigeria advocating and advancing the cause of the SDGs, SDG4 and SDG5 in particular so that no community and youth in Kaduna state and Nigeria at large would be left behind. CYPLP as an organization works primarily in serving vulnerable population of children, youth, elderly persons, people living with disabilities (PLWD's) and women in unserved, underserved, underrepresented, disadvantaged and marginalized local communities in Nigeria. He can be reached via :
Tel: +2347082558952
Email : julyenobong2020@gmail.com
: enobongekwere825@gmail.com
MY PERSONAL SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES:
FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/enobong.ekwere.372
TWITTER:
http://www.twitter.com/Enobongekwere2
INSTAGRAM:
http://www.instagram.com/enobongekwere825
LINKEDIN:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/enobong-ekwere-3271b116b
MY ORGANIZATION'S SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES:
FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/cyplp.net.ng/
TWITTER:
http://www.twitter.com/youngpeoplefor/
INSTAGRAM:
http://www.instagram.com/cyplp/
WEBSITE:
www.cyplp.net.ng
Comments
Post a Comment