As the world marks International Day of Zero Tolerance, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has expressed concern over increasing cases of female genital mutilation in Nigeria.
Noting that female genital mutilation is on the rise among Nigerian girls aged 0-14,the global humanitarian agency said, “the rates have risen from 16.9per cent in 2013 to 19.2per cent in 2018”, a development it described as “worrying trend.
“Female genital mutilation (FGM) remains widespread in Nigeria. With an estimated 19.9million survivors, Nigeria accounts for the third highest number of women and girls who have undergone FGM worldwide,” UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Peter Hawkins,said in a statement, yesterday.
It added: “While the national prevalence of FGM among women in Nigeria aged 15-49 dropped from 25per cent in 2013 to 20per cent in 2018, prevalence among girls aged 0-14 increased from 16.9per cent to 19.2per cent in the same period, according to NDHS figures.
“An estimated 86per cent of females were cut before the age of 5, while 8per cent were cut between ages 5 and 14.
“As the world today commemorates the International Day of Zero Tolerance of FGM, 68million girls worldwide were estimated to be at risk of female genital mutilation between 2015 and 2030. As COVID-19 continues to close schools and disrupt programmes that help protect girls from this harmful practice, an additional 2million additional cases of FGM may occur over the next decade.
“Millions of girls are being robbed of their childhoods, health, education, and aspirations every day by harmful practices such as FGM.”
According to Hawkins, “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.
“Across Nigeria, disparities in the practice exist. State prevalence ranges from 62per cent in Imo to less than 1per cent in Adamawa and Gombe. The prevalence of FGM is highest in the South-East (35per cent) and South-West (30per cent) and lowest in the North-East (6 per cent).
“UNICEF is initiating a community-led movement to eliminate FGM in five Nigerian states where it is highly prevalent: Ebonyi, Ekiti, Imo, Osun and Oyo. Nearly 3million girls and women would have undergone FGM in these states in the last five years.
“The Movement for Good” will reach 5million adolescent girls and boys, women – including especially pregnant and lactating mothers – men, grandparents, and traditional, community and religious leaders, legislators, justice sector actors, and state officials through an online pledge to ‘say no’ to FGM.
“The movement will mobilise affected communities for concrete action at the household level to protect girls at risk of FGM. It will challenge misconceptions on FGM and the discriminatory reasons it is practiced and break the silence around the practice together with communities.
“FGM is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. It reflects deep-rooted inequality between the sexes and is an extreme form of discrimination against girls and women.
“It is nearly always carried out on children and is a violation of children’s rights. The practice also violates a person’s rights to health, security and physical integrity; the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment; and the right to life, in instances when the procedure results in death.
“The International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM reminds us that we are not alone in this work and that we need to accelerate efforts – especially with families and communities – to achieve a Nigeria safe for girls and women and finally free of FGM,” Hawkins said.