Opinions

Human dignity and burden of female genital mutilation

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3 years ago

If there are any such evils to be expunged, female genital mutilation (FGM) is one of them. This is because of the damaging effects it has on the female sex which is a threat to the dignity of the entire female race. According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), “globally, it is estimated that some 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone some form of FGM and by 2030, about 68 million girls will be at the risk of being mutilated”. Female genital mutilation refers to the partial or total removal of the genitalia of a girl child/female for non-medical reasons. Sometimes called female circumcision, it is an act that simply entails the cutting of all or some parts of the external female genitalia to render the female child sexually dull, among other unjustifiable non-medical purposes.

There are at least three types and forms the female genital mutilation takes. The first type is the minor mutilation which is very common. It usually involves the partial or total removal of the clitoris. The second type takes the form of getting rid of the girl child’s clitoris and labia minora. The third type occurs when there’s a removal of the labia minor and/or labia majora of a female with or without tampering with the clitoris. Usually, this type of female genital mutilation is accompanied by sewing the two sides of the vagina.

For the operation, there’s usually a set of people called traditional circumcisers in the society, with a blade as their main device for female genital mutilation, whereas, it is not medically backed and shouldn’t be weighed as a commensurable practice with male circumcision. While the former has no medical gains for the girl/female child, the latter has health benefits for the male child.

Although FGM is an age-long practice due to some cultural, historical, and social narratives, it is a fact that the practice lacks a medically justifiable standing. Thus, a harmful traditional practice should be discouraged and stopped.

Surprisingly, as grievous and socially debasing as female genital mutilation is, Africa, Asia, and parts of the Middle East rank as top perpetrators of the act. As a practice, it is rooted in gender inequality and a tactic to control the sexuality of women and their dignity thereof. This is obvious because the external genitals of the female child are mostly mutilated right from childhood (on young girls between infancy and age 15). It is a violation of the child’s rights, as the practice is carried out against the will of the female child.

Another thing that must be noted is that whatever the form or type the female genital mutilation may take, it is a painful and injurious act as the procedure for doing so subjects the female child to heavy blood loss, tissue swelling, deep bleeding, contamination of blood, difficulty urinating, and sometimes death.

Besides, a woman with mutilated genitals is at a very high risk of having difficulties during childbirth. There exactly lies the inevitable evil in female genital mutilation.

More disturbing is the fact that in most of the societies where the practice of female genital mutilation is prevalent, the traditional circumciser is usually an older woman who goes to the girl child’s house to get her external genitalia mutilated, having carried instruments like razors, scissors, knives which oftentimes are already infected and the circumciser may not be aware of the contamination and in most cases doesn’t care to sterilise.

As a result, from a very tender age of five, the female child could be a carrier of infections via the unhealthy process of her genital mutilation. And more catastrophic is that other men could get to contract infections from the mutilated child through sexual activities/contact. This is a contributory factor to widespread infections.

Meanwhile, governments and countries around the world have found female genital mutilation as a social cankerworm threatening the life of the girl-child, her dignity as a woman, and her self-esteem. To this end has several strategies and schemes been put in place to curb and eradicate this harmful practice to the extent that female genital mutilation is fast becoming a crime.

For instance, the United Nations Population Fund in conjunction with UNICEF champions the Joint Programme on the Elimination of FGM, the largest body advocating for the eradication of this harmful practice. As youths, it is our responsibility to join forces with world organisations and agencies like the UNICEF, WHO, and UNFPA towards curbing and bringing an end to female genital mutilation. Awareness creation is key.

More so, putting an end to female genital mutilation requires a collective responsibility, with youths playing the leading role by embarking on house-to-house and group campaigns against the act. This sensitisation could also be carried out by pressure groups, non-governmental organisations and civil society groups. So, it is not to be seen as the business of feminists alone but that of all who love humanity and desire to get rid of a society where female children are socially excluded, psychologically traumatised, and sexually discriminated which of course, are the aftermaths of female genital mutilation.

Also, like the International Women’s Day celebration is widely being observed, the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation should be widely commemorated annually on February 6, as set out by the United Nations to eradicate female genital mutilation. It is not to be seen as a public holiday, but as a day for the international outcry to see that FGM becomes history.

Above all, what makes female genital mutilation (FGM) highly appalling, very caustic, and needless is that till now, there’s no proven health benefit derived from mutilating the female genitals of the girl-child.

By logic, if an age-long practice like female genital mutilation has neither medical backings nor factual health profits for the female child, then what exact reason would make its continuity justifiable? Therefore, as male, female, and youth advocates of human rights, especially that of women, it is our generational task to flush away all those harmful traditional practices, beliefs, stereotypes, and superstitions that are vestiges of cultural conspiracies and merchants of the said social derogation and humiliation of the female child. And like the killing of twins was halted by Mary Slessor among the Efik people of Calabar, there are no stumbling blocks for you and me. For in youths, there’s the power of advocacy and that of the media. Let’s get it ostracised through an aggressive campaign now.

Abiola writes in from Ikeja, Lagos.

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