Tag Archives: Female Circumcision

Agency Warns Of Health Hazards In Female Circumcision.

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Parents and guardians have been urged to desist from circumcising their female children, a practice known as genital mutilation to avoid health hazards inherent in the practice.

The Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Imo State, Mr Vitus Ekeocha, gave the warning at a two-day training organised in Owerri, the capital of the state, in south-east Nigeria, for Community Advocates.

It focused on eradicating Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and cutting.

Mr Ekeocha noted that the practice was not only dehumanising but often lead to complications especially during childbirth.

The NOA state director told participants to see themselves as change agents in their communities by sensitising the people on the dangers of female circumcision.

“When you circumcise a girl Child, you are causing health and psychological damage to her. Whether you are cutting or using hand to rub, leave the genital organ of the girl the way God created her. We discovered that most of the women who undergo FGM find it difficult during labour or it may even affect the urethral,” he said.

In an interview some of the participants Mrs Edith Achodo and Mr Chibuzor Ndukwe, vowed to champion the crusade against the practice.

Mrs Achodo said: “I do practice it. I was circumcised and I do teach pregnant women during antenatal talks that they should press it hard so it could go inside, but today with what I have learnt, if I go back to the hospital, I will tell them that it is wrong and that they should stop it”.

On his part, Mr Ndukwe said: “Sometimes they say that it’s tradition, but it is wrong according to what we learnt here today. The practice is evil and when we go back, we will let them know that they should not allow such to happen again because it is not healthy.”

Participants were drawn from 25 communities of Ehime Mbano, Ideato North, Ihitte Uboma, Owerri municipal and Owerri west local government areas.

Female Genital Mutilation also known as female genital cutting and female circumcision, is the ritual removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. The practice is found in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

There are several myths that have promoted the practice, including claims that women not circumcised have insatiable desire for sex.

Imo lawmakers set to outlaw female circumcision

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The Imo State House of Assembly has described female genital mutilation/cutting as obnoxious traditional practice, saying it is opposed to it and set to pass into law a bill “to eliminate violence in private and public life.”

It also said that it was hazardous to the health of girl children and women due to its attendant physical and mental consequences.

Speaking during the inauguration ceremony organised by the wife of the state governor, Mrs. Nkechi Okorocha, the Speaker of the state Assembly, Acho Ihim, noted that the practice was in utter violation of the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Girl Child.

He also said that it violated the African ethical principle of “Do no harm to anybody.”

While saying that the House of Assembly was opposed to FGM/C in all its ramifications, the Speaker maintained that the circumcision of the girl child was a violation of female fundamental human rights to life, physical integrity and health.

He said, “Under medical prerogatives, the practice subjects its victims to life-threatening hazards. We in the House therefore stand in unity with the wife of the governor, Mrs. Nkechi Okorocha, as well as UNFPA, UNICEF and other international organisations, to uphold the stance that there is no justification whatsoever for FGM.

“And to ensure the speedy implementation of eradication of this detestable traditional practice, the House of Assembly hereby promises to hasten all efforts aimed at passing into law the bill to eliminate violence in private and public life, to prohibit all forms of violence including physical, sexual, psychological and all domestic harmful traditional practices, discrimination against persons and to provide maximum protection and effective remedies for victims and punishment for offenders.”

Earlier, Mrs. Okorocha had said that the intervention by the United Nations’ Population Fund Agency through the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development had focused on four council areas such as Ikeduru, Ohaji/Egbema, Ngor Okpala and Oguta.

Mrs. Okorocha said her pet project, Women of Divine Destiny Initiative, was partnering with UNFPA to fully address the problem.