Pulse Narrative: Building a movement to end Female Gender Mutilation

As part of the means to achieve the goal of building a movement to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), human right activists, medical and legal experts have emphasised that education and weightier sanctions needs to be put in place to eradicate Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Nigeria.

Speaking during a webinar put together by Pulse Narrative, a forward-thinking development communication organisation dedicated to driving impactful change across various sectors, titled ‘Building Movements to End Female Genital Mutilation’, Nora Agbakhamen, co-founder, Pulse Narrative said over 200 million girls and women worldwide have undergone some form of female genital mutilation (FGM), while 25 percent of woman in Nigeria have been subjected to one form of FGM or another.

Agbakhamen said despite being internationally recognized as a human right violation, FGM persists because the laws are not enough to fight the harmful act.

“Even though there are laws to discourage this, it continues. We need to build movement and alliances. We need to educate community leaders and health care professionals on ways to end FGM. Those culpable for this act need to face the full wrath of the law for FGM to be addressed.

“This is why this webinar is going to be one of many more webinars we will be having to bring lasting solution to this harmful act,” she explained.

Mohammed Abubakar, Chokalin Fika Emirates, Yobe during his presentation spoke on engagements by traditional leaders with Non Governmental Organisations, (NGOs), governments amongst others to put together outreaches to educate people on negative effects of FGM.

He mentioned that in Yobe State for instance, there are laws in place that have strictly outlined penalties against people engaged in FGM, adding that this has helped reduce prevalence of FGM.

Abubakar said while traditional institutions have been at the forefront of eradicating FGM, more still needs to be done; such as public denouncement of the act, community outreach programs and establishment of laws and bylaws.

Amina Waziri Abdullah, nurse and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) advocate said people who are culpable for the act argue that FGM prevents women from being promiscuous but more importantly is that the act continues to be barbaric as some entail cutting off of the clitoris, narrowing of virgina opening and some even entails piercing of the genetals; all of which is very harmful to the victim.

Abdullah insisted that a woman needs all her parts to function as a human being and removing any of her part as a human being is against fundamental human right and punishable by law.

“FGM has physical and emotional consequences. When you grow up to see that your sexual organ is reconstructed totally and different from others, it gives you a feeling you are bit normal and can lead to low self esteem. Some even affects child birth and prevents the victim from giving birth through the natural means,” she explained.

Kowoabo Takoni, a lawyer and GBV advocate who was also a speaker during the webinar spoke of the need to ensure the punishment for culprits should be weighter and fines more than the stipulated N200,000.

Takoni said some people argue that FGM practice is engrained in our culture, however this does not change the fact that this practice is harmful and wrong.

Read also: 27 million more girls at risk of genital mutilation

She spoke on the news for people to embrace change and the need for victims to speak up for others to learn and refrain from it.

Fatima Paga, UNwomen Focal Person, another speaker at the webinar argued that traditional institutions are not doing enough to stop the practice of FGM.

“I have a friend that is 50 years and she said she has never felt the pleasure of intimate relationship with her husband because she has been circumcised from birth.

“We can help change cultural practice which requires the involvement of local communities,” Paga said.

She expressed disappointment in Yobe State for still allowing the clause in the law against FGM.

She explained that the said law still allows FGM on the condition that it is not harmful and is carried out by an expert, stressing that the Yobe law needs to be reviewed and the clause removed.

“Who are the so called experts that cut off the clitoris? I insist that the traditional rulers are not doing enough. The State governments and medical practitioners also have roles to play.

“When mothers come for antinental care, medical practitioners should disabuse their minds about this practice. You can educate them in a bid to reduce FGM.

Ruqayyah Yusuf Aliyu, Senior Lecturer, BUK spoke on the need to include FGM in curriculum right from primary schools.

“We can inject this in subjects like health Education and social studies. People should know it is harmful and why it is harmful. So many women have gone through this and don’t know how to discuss this. Some people who have gone through this are so pained and are passionate about speaking against it.

“We can also educate and create awareness. Other solutions include community engagements, policy advocacy, implementation of laws and policies and partnerships with stakeholders to help with researches on how such practices can be addressed,” Aliyu said.

Aishatu Kabu, founder and Executive Director of the Zenith of the Girl Child and Women Initiative Support (ZEGCAWIS), said most women and girls in rural communities do not even have a voice and are finding it difficult for their voices to be heard.

“We need to find out whether we are speaking with the right people. Even the police, social welfare people etc don’t have access to the copies of information on the law. These are supposed to be those that will enforce the law.

“We continue to engage the wrong people. People should be empowered with the information. When it comes to ending FGM, we should engage the traditional leaders and men. We need to engage the traditional and religious leaders.

“We can engage women and girls as the victims or survivors of such act. We need to restrategise to end this. We all still have a long way to go to mobilise resources and train the right people in a bid to stop this. We need to end this act, “Kabu said.