The House of Representatives has expressed worry over the report that about 20 million girls and women in Nigeria and 20percent of Nigerian women aged between 15 to 49 years have undergone genital mutilations, commonly known as female circumcision.
The House made its feeling known at plenary on Thursday when it adopted a motion seeking to eradicate the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Nigeria, sponsored by Ganiyu Johnson from Lagos State.
Moving the motion, Johnson noted that in 2003, the United Nations while observing the need to eradicate the practice of female genital mutilation, declared February 6 annually as an International Day for the Eradication of Female Genital Mutilation.
He also noted that the move was designed to create global awareness on the dangers of female genital mutilation and drum support for the protection of the physical and mental health of women and girls.
The lawmaker explained that female genital mutilation comprises of all procedures that involve altering or injuring the female genitalia for non-medical reasons and it is recognized internationally as a violation of the rights and health of women and girls.
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“Cognizant of the dangers which the unwholesome practice portends for the health and wellbeing of women and girls, ranging from urinary tract infections, infertility, hepatitis and other blood-borne diseases.
“Further notes that female genital mutilation is an act of violence against women and girls and amounts to a violation of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, 2015.
“Cognizant that the United Nations Report published in 2020, reported that Nigeria ranked the third-highest number in cases of female genital mutilation in the world,” Johnson stated.
The lawmakers while adopting the motion urged the Minister of Women Affairs and the National Orientation Agency to organize nation-wide sensitization programmes discouraging the practice of female genital mutilation.
It mandated the Committees on Women Affairs and Social Development, Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values to ensure compliance and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.
Ruling on the motion, Idris Wase, deputy speaker of the House, who presided over the sitting, advised Johnson to come up with a Bill on the subject matter in order to make it a law if “indeed he intends to cure the scourge of female gender mutilation in Nigeria.”
