The International President of Inner Wheel International club, Mrs Oluyemisi Alatise on Sunday said female genital mutilation was still high among most races.
She said because of the advocacy against it, most people now resorted to doing it secretly.
Alatise stated this in a press briefing preceding a summit entitled :’Women for Africa’ holding in Awka, Anambra State
The theme of the summit is : “Touch a heart.”
She said a survey conducted by the organisation in 100 countries of the world showed that the practice was still high among most races.
Alatise said the practice was heightened by some myths being peddled, ignorantly.
She said in some places people would believe that a woman would be promiscuous if she was not circumcised.
She added that some others were of the belief that if a woman was not circumcised until marriage, the head of her children would touch her clitoris during birth, and that would bring calamity upon the children.
“All these are not true at all. All those myths are pure falsehood, and the club will continue to champion the abolition of the practice, as well as the travails of the girl child, which is from cradle to old age.
“The girl child is faced with a lot of abuses from birth to old age, and this consist of female genital mutilation at birth, child bride while growing up and even forced labour too, and harmful widowhood practices” she said.
She said a compendium with the title”Female Privileges and Challenges: Cradle to Old Age” had been packaged , and would be used as a working document to free the girl child from travails in countries around the world.
Alatise who is the first African international president of the club said the three day summit would harp on the challenges of women and insecurity.
She added that the group would through the summit raise funds for a micro credit scheme for indigent women in for of soft loans .
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