For refusing to submit to the age-long cultural practices of Female Genital Mutilation also known as Circumcision, a middle age woman, Mrs Oluwakemisola Falade, has been banished from her community in Ifira Akoko, Akoko North East local government.
The mother of two and her husband has been threatened with banishment for refusing the elders and community leaders to carry out the age-long tradition of circumcision on her two daughters
The family has been having a running battle with the elders in the community and some of their extended family members for refusing to submit her daughters for the circumcision.
Narrating her story, she explained that her ordeal started after giving birth to her first daughter in 2008 and the family approached her during a family function to remind her of the cultural practices when the young girl was barely four years
According to her, the tradition stipulates that a female child must be circumcised between the ages of 6 months to 10 years.
She, however, said she’s was able to convince the family elders that the young girl needed to be given more time before she could be circumcised as she was carrying her second pregnancy and will need to attend to her after the circumcision
She said ” I promised to perform the rite soon after delivery, but after delivering my second daughter I gave them series of excuses to the elders and community leaders to prevent my daughters from being circumcised.
“But they summoned us to a meeting in September where they instructed us to prepare our daughters for circumcision by December 2017.”
The couple explained the dangers and risks associated with female genital mutilation backing their explanation with statistics and journals.
She explained that for failing to submit to the archaic tradition, some youths from the community threatened to attack the family for condemning the community cultural practice.
She stated that they tried to educate and convinced the elders on the danger associated with Female Genital Mutilation but said all the explanation fell. On the deaf ears of the elders who refused their request saying it is a taboo and her daughters would not be exempted from the cultural practices
Following the blunt refusal by the couple, the elders threatened to forcefully circumcise their daughters without their consent and banish the couple from the community.
As a result of the threat and for the sake of the safety of their children, the couple reluctantly agreed to consider the family’s request come December 2017.
They, however, appealed to various groups against female genital mutilation to come to their aid and come over to educate the elders of the community that the age-long tradition is archaic and outdated.
Circumcision otherwise known as Female Genital Mutilation in Nigeria accounts for the most female genital cutting/mutilation (FGM/C) cases worldwide.
The practice is considered harmful to girls and women and a violation of human rights.
Female Genital Mutilation causes infertility, maternal death, infections, and the loss of sexual pleasure.
Nationally, 27% of Nigerian women between the ages of 15 and 49 are victims of FGM.
In the last 30 years, the prevalence of the practice has decreased by half in some parts of Nigeria while it has not abated in some other parts.
Although there are campaigns and efforts at combating the practice, activists and scholars say a cultural shift is necessary to abolish the practice.
Data shows that the majority of people believe female genital cutting should end, but they cite social pressures to continue the practice with their daughters.
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