Over 200 million girls and women have suffered Female Genital Mutilation, (FGM) in Africa, Middle East and Asia, a consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Dr Francis Ekhosuehi, has disclosed.
Ekhosuehi who spoke in Benin City via zoom organised at an online sensitisation programme organised by the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Edo State chapter, remarked that most of the victims were girls in their infancy to 15years.
He lamented that more than three million girls were estimated to be at risk of FGM annually, adding that the practice is mostly carried out by traditional circumcisers.
“Some of the cases are performed by health care providers. This is unacceptable. FGM is a violation of the human rights of girls and women. FGM is recognised as harmful to girls and women both physically and psychologically and it has no medical benefits,” he added.
Ekhosuehi stressed that according to World Health Organisation (WHO), any procedure involving the partial or total removal of the external genitalia or any other injury such as pricking, piercing, incising, scrapping, cauterisation to the genital organs for non-medical reason is dangerous.
Speaking, the chairperson, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Edo State branch, Mrs Iryn Omorogiuwa, stated that an enactment of a law on Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) would seek to protect women and girls from FGM.
She noted that FGM violated the rights of the feminine gender, affected the quality of health-care they received, caused some form of insecurity and affected their integrity.
Chairman, National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Edo State Council, Mrs Catherine Eseine, explained that female genital mutilation problems have both short and long term health dangers, with the short-term health dangers being severe pains, excessive bleeding, shock and Human Immune-deficiency Virus (HIV).
According to her, the cutting of the genital tissues with the same surgical instrument without sterilisation increases the risk of transmission of HIV among girls who are subjected to FGM at the same time; urination problems, impaired wound healing, mental health problems, among others.
She added that long term dangers of FGM could occur at anytime in life such as pains, infections, painful urination and vaginal problems.
Mrs Ronke Ojiekere, the initiator of Society to Heighten Awareness Women and Children Abuse (SOTHAWACA) stated that sensitisation should be carried out in rural communities to educate people on the dangers of FGM because excuses from the practitioners are purely based on cultural and traditional reasons.
Chairperson, NAWOJ Edo State chapter, Comrade Adesuwa Ehimuan, reiterated that stakeholders should take action to end FGM and all forms of gender based violences (GBV) against women and girls both in the urban and rural areas.
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