Female Genital Mutilation is the removal of some or
all of the external genitalia.The perpetrators of FGM are usually highly
respected people in the society who are viewed as “gatekeepers of culture” or a
traditional circumciser, in most cases FGM is done without anaesthesia. This act is mostly carried out on young
girls between the ages of 0-15. FGM is horribly painful and is now recognized
as a major human rights violation. It can scar a girl for life if said girl is
lucky not to have bled to death. According to the World Health Organization,
this procedure has no health benefits for girls or women and despite immense
awareness of the dangers, FGM still persists and thrives in many parts of
Africa and even amongst immigrants in Europe and North America.
With the education crisis at hand and the challenge
of 58 million children out of school and not learning, FGM is a stumbling block
in a girl’s educational development. FGM has negative psychological effects on
a girl; immediate complications can include severe pain, shock, severe
bleeding, problems urinating which can cause urine retention. It will be very
difficult for a girl to concentrate in class with all these complications and
this hinders her ability to fully maximize her potentials. In most societies in Africa, FGM is seen as a rite
of passage for the girl child as she does not return to school after FGM but
instead considers herself a woman and opts for marriage.
The International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female
Genital Mutilation is an effort to create world awareness on FGM and promote
its eradication. On Feb. 6, 2003, the former First Lady of Nigeria, Mrs. Stella Obasanjo,
made the official declaration on "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), a non-governmental
network headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The 2015 International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation recognizes the essential role of
health workers in the global campaign to abolish FGM. This year’s campaign theme is “Mobilization and Involvement of Health
Personnel to Accelerate Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation”.
I was privileged to have met the Late Efua Dorkenoo, OBE
during her visit to Nigeria in April 2014on the social change campaign to end
FGM(C). Mama Efua (as she was fondly called) pioneered the global movement to
put a stop to this practice. FGM is a world concern and it will take the
collective effort of the global community to put an end to this inhumane act.
We want a world free of violence against women and
girls; a world of equality, dignity and respect for all women and girls in
Africa and a world where every girl child will be educated.
Thank you Folawe. :*
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