Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting; A Women's Right Violation and a harmful Cultural Practice

 Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (Commonly called female circumcision); A Women's Right Violation

World Health Organization says:

Female genital mutilation has no known health benefits. On the contrary, it is known to be harmful to girls and women in many ways. First and foremost, it is painful and traumatic. The removal of or damage to healthy, normal genital tissue interferes with the natural functioning of the body and causes several immediate and long-term health consequences. For example, babies born to women who have undergone female genital mutilation suffer a higher rate of neonatal death compared with babies born to women who have not undergone the procedure. end in stillbirth or spontaneous abortion, and in a further 25% the newborn has a low birth weight or serious infection, both of which are associated with an increased risk of perinatal death.

Definitions

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), also known as Female Genital Cutting (FGC), or Female Circumcision, refers to "all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs whether for cultural, religious or other non-therapeutic reasons." (WHO, 1995). FGM or FGC 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 (UNICEF, 2003).

FGM as a cultural practice cuts across religious and cultural boundaries and are either done in secret or with fanfare. Victims often display a sense of helplessness and are unaware of the irrelevance and potential dangers associated with this practice. 

Notably, the four types of Female Genital Mutilation often identified in the literature are all practiced across various ethnic groups and age brackets in Nigeria.  The commonest type of Female Genital Mutilation practiced in Nigeria is Type I. Types II and III are found in different geographical zones, while Type IV is common in the North (known as Gisihiri cuts), and in the South as the introduction of herbs into the vagina. (Descriptions of the various FGM Types are provided below

Classification

According to WHO (2007), the types of Female Genital Mutilation currently practiced are: 

Type I: Partial or total removal of the clitoris and/or the prepuce (Clitoridectomy). 

Type II: Partial or total removal of the clitoris and the Labia minora, with or without excision of the Labia majora (excision). 

Type III: Narrowing of the vaginal orifice with creation of a covering seal by cutting and appositioning the Labia minora and/or the Labia majora, with or without excision of the clitoris (infibulation).

Type IV: Unclassified: All other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for non medical purposes, for example, pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterization.  

Type II: Partial or total removal of the clitoris and the Labia minora, with or without excision of the Labia majora (excision)

Type III: Narrowing of the vaginal orifice with creation of a covering seal by cutting and appositioning the Labia minora and/or the Labia majora, with or without excision of the clitoris (infibulation).

Health Implications and Consequences

The consequences depend on the type and severity of the genital mutilation. Immediate health complications includes:

• Pain, 
• Shock, and bleeding, 
• Acute urine retention, 
• Risk of blood borne diseases such as septicaemia, 
• Hepatitis B, HIV/ AIDS and other infections. 

The long-term health complications include:

• Recurrent urinary tract infection, 
• Dysmenorrhoea, 
• Sexual dysfunction, 
• Chronic pelvic infection, 
• Infertility, prolonged and 
• Obstructed labour; 
• Infertility
• Difficulties in child birth
• Trouble with menstruation or urination
• Problems and extreme pain with intercourse
• Lack of sexual desire
• No sexual stimulation, and mental illness.

Others include:

• Vesico-vaginal Fistulae (VVF), 
• Recto-vaginal fistulae (RVF) and scarring/keloid formation with psychosocial and emotional consequences. 

A few results provide evidence that women who have been mutilated are more likely to experience pain during intercourse, have reduced sexual satisfaction and desire than those who are not cut. For the women and girls who are victims of FGM the pain and torture of the procedure are far from a one-time affair and both the physical and mental scars can last a lifetime. Especially those done as a right of passage to womanhood. 

Data
An estimated 100 to 145 million women and girls have been victimized by the unnecessary and brutal procedure of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), while another 3 million girls are at risk each year.   

Situational Analysis of Female Genital Mutilation in Nigeria (Update to come)

Nigeria with a population of 168 million (2012 NPC projected population), has about 350 ethno-linguistic and cultural groups. These groups carry out various practices, such as Female Genital Mutilation, which are harmful to health and well-being. FGM is in fact rooted in patriarchal ideology often expressed in such cultural values as - gender inequality; femininity (expressed from a male point of view of purity, modesty, chastity, fidelity and social honour of the female person); male control of the woman’s body /sexuality; and less expression of female sexual desire compared to their male counterparts among others.  

The contextual analysis of FGM discussed in this section is based on major findings from the under listed surveys:

1.    A national survey on female circumcision by the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (1985 and 1996).

2.   Community Based Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice studies from 22 States (1996) by the Inter-African               Committee on Harmful Traditional Practices and

3.   The National Baseline Survey on Harmful and positive     Traditional Practices affecting women and girls in Nigeria conducted in all thirty States and the Federal Capital Territory, from 1996 to 1997.

4.   The National Population Commission Report 2005 reported a slight decline in the incidence of FGM from 9% to 17.5%.

5.    The NDHS 2008 which estimated the FGM rate at approximately 30% among the country's female population

6.   UNFPA/UNICEF presentation.

FGM prevalence rates in the 2008 NDHS ranges from 0.1% - 83.9% - with zonal aggregates as follows:

North-East Zone                         -                5.5%

South-South Zone                     -              19.1%

North Central Zone                   -              20.5%

South-East Zone                         -              30.5%

South-West Zone                       -              37.9%

North-West Zone                       -              44.7%

§An estimated 19.9 million Nigerian women have undergone FGM/C meaning that approximately

16% of the 125 million FGM/C survivors worldwide are Nigerians (NPopC 2014)

§19% of girls 15-19 have undergone through FGM/C (MICS 2011)

§More than 65% of the women who have undergone FGM/C were cut before age 5 (MICS 2011)

§The overall prevalence of FGM/C among girls and women aged 15-49 years in Nigeria (27%) is lower than in many countries

§Prevalence of FGM/C has decreased by 9% between 2008 and 2011

§However, due to its large population, Nigeria has the third highest absolute number of women and girls (19.9 million) who have undergone FGM/C worldwide (after Egypt and Ethiopia)

Why is FGM performed in Nigeria

Sexuality – preservation of virginity until marriage.

Marriageability – undergoing FGM improves chances of marriage in some societies.

Tradition – preserving and continuing a set of values and rituals in a community.

Rite of passage from girlhood into womanhood

Religion (though no religion includes FGM as a requirement).

Cultural aesthetic reasons – in some communities, normal female genitals are considered  ugly, unclean and unattractive unless they are subjected to FGM.

Myths and beliefs – some communities believe that the clitoris contains powers strong enough to cause harm to a man’s reproductive organ or to damage/kill a baby during childbirth.

National efforts to steam the tide of FGM/C in Nigeria

To protect girls and women from this brutal experience, February 6 every year was designated as the Int'l Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C), also known as female circumcision or female genital cutting (FGC). The day was established by the United Nations to generate awareness of FGM and to promote its eradication. 

The day was established ten years ago in Nigeria, on February 6, 2003 by Stella Obasanjo, the then First Lady of Nigeria, with the official declaration “Zero Tolerance to FGM” in Africa during a conference organized by the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (IAC). 

UNICEF and UNFPA joint partnership program has done alot to address FGM/C practice in Nigeria some of which include  conducting National Survey 2015, Support for establishment of National and States Technical Working Group on FGM/C, funding of CSOs. Others include The Generation Girls support establishment of National youth movement against FGM among others.

Join youth dialogue every Thursday by 5-7pm @endcuttinggirls #endcuttinggirls +Abimbola Aladejare +Timidi Omolere +Japheth Omojuwa +UNICEF +Nkiru Igbokwe +Yakubu Aliyu +UNODC Youth Initiative +ENDFGMamnesty 


I Pledge "FGM ends in my generation" 

source: beforeitnews.com, and UN web

International Women's Day...History

 

THEME: MAKE IT HAPPEN.

International Women's Day has been observed since in the early 1900's, a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies.

1908

Great unrest and critical debate was occurring amongst women. Women's oppression and inequality was spurring women to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change. Then in 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights.

1909

In accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America, the first National Woman's Day (NWD) was observed across the United States on 28 February. Women continued to celebrate NWD on the last Sunday of February until 1913.

1910

In 1910 a second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen. A woman named a Clara Zetkin (Leader of the 'Women's Office' for the Social Democratic Party in Germany) tabled the idea of an International Women's Day. She proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day - a Women's Day - to press for their demands. The conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, representing unions, socialist parties, working women's clubs, and including the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament, greeted Zetkin's suggestion with unanimous approval and thus International Women's Day was the result.

1911

Following the decision agreed at Copenhagen in 1911, International Women's Day (IWD) was honoured the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on 19 March. More than one million women and men attended IWD rallies campaigning for women's rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination. However less than a week later on 25 March, the tragic 'Triangle Fire' in New York City took the lives of more than 140 working women, most of them Italian and Jewish immigrants. This disastrous event drew significant attention to working conditions and labour legislation in the United States that became a focus of subsequent International Women's Day events. 1911 also saw women's 'Bread and Roses' campaign.

1913-1914
On the eve of World War I campaigning for peace, Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Sunday in February 1913. In 1913 following discussions, International Women's Day was transferred to 8 March and this day has remained the global date for International Women's Day ever since. In 1914 further women across Europe held rallies to campaign against the war and to express women's solidarity.

1917
On the last Sunday of February, Russian women began a strike for "bread and peace" in response to the death over 2 million Russian soldiers in war. Opposed by political leaders the women continued to strike until four days later the Czar was forced to abdicate and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote. The date the women's strike commenced was Sunday 23 February on the Julian calendar then in use in Russia. This day on the Gregorian calendar in use elsewhere was 8 March.

1918 - 1999

Since its birth in the socialist movement, International Women's Day has grown to become a global day of recognition and celebration across developed and developing countries alike. For decades, IWD has grown from strength to strength annually. For many years the United Nations has held an annual IWD conference to coordinate international efforts for women's rights and participation in social, political and economic processes. 1975 was designated as 'International Women's Year' by the United Nations. Women's organisations and governments around the world have also observed IWD annually on 8 March by holding large-scale events that honour women's advancement and while diligently reminding of the continued vigilance and action required to ensure that women's equality is gained and maintained in all aspects of life.

2000 and beyond

IWD is now an official holiday in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China (for women only), Cuba, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar (for women only), Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nepal (for women only), Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Zambia. The tradition sees men honouring their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, etc with flowers and small gifts. In some countries IWD has the equivalent status of Mother's Day where children give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers.

The new millennium has witnessed a significant change and attitudinal shift in both women's and society's thoughts about women's equality and emancipation. Many from a younger generation feel that 'all the battles have been won for women' while many feminists from the 1970's know only too well the longevity and ingrained complexity of patriarchy. With more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased critical mass of women's visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think that women have gained true equality. The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women's education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men.

However, great improvements have been made. We do have female astronauts and prime ministers, school girls are welcomed into university, women can work and have a family, women have real choices. And so the tone and nature of IWD has, for the past few years, moved from being a reminder about the negatives to a celebration of the positives.

Annually on 8 March, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements. A global web of rich and diverse local activity connects women from all around the world ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking events through to local women's craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades and more.

Many global corporations have also started to more actively support IWD by running their own internal events and through supporting external ones. For example, on 8 March search engine and media giant Google some years even changes its logo on its global search pages. Year on year IWD is certainly increasing in status. The United States even designates the whole month of March as 'Women's History Month'.

So make a difference, think globally and act locally !! Make everyday International Women's Day. Do your bit to ensure that the future for girls is bright, equal, safe and rewarding.

"To be truly transformative, the post-2015 development agenda must prioritize gender equality and women’s empowerment. The world will never realize 100 per cent of its goals if 50 per cent of its people cannot realize their full potential. "

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Curled from Int'l WomenDay.com and UNWomen site