By Ikeugonna Eleke
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has decried the prevalent rate of female genital mutilation and cutting (FGM/C) in the South East, calling for more efforts to stem the tide.
The Chief of UNICEF Field Office in Enugu, Mrs Juliet Chiluwe, stated this during a zonal media dialogue with journalists, media executives, and civil society organisations, in commemoration of the 2025 International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, held in Enugu on Wednesday, February
She said: ‘The practice of FGM/C is rooted in gender inequality and power imbalances between men and women — and it sustains them by limiting opportunities for girls and women to realize their rights and full potential in terms of health, education, income, and equality.
‘Female genital mutilation violates the fundamental rights of girls, comprises all procedures that involve altering or injuring the female genitalia for non-medical reasons and is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights, the health and the integrity of girls and women.
‘It violates fundamental human rights such as the right to health, life, physical and mental integrity and freedom from torture, and can result in complications from detrimental physical and psychological, as well as social and economic impacts, lasting throughout childhood, reproductive years, and old age.
‘It is a form of gender-based violence, a harmful practice against women and girls, and a public health challenge. It is often undertaken as a traditional rite of passage aimed at limiting sexual enjoyment and protecting female chastity.
‘We still have unacceptable prevalent rates across the Southeast states, with Imo state ranking first at 38% prevalence among women aged 15-49 years and 9.7% prevalence among girls aged 0-14 years.
‘Similarly, prevalence among women aged 15-49 years in Ebonyi, Abia, Enugu and Anambra States stands at 20.4%, 20.3%, 19% and 13.1% respectively. For girls aged 0-14 years, prevalence stands at 3.7%, 3.0%, 2.1% and 0.2% respectively for Enugu, Abia, Anambra and Ebonyi states,’ she said.
Earlier, a public health consultant and lead resource person at the zonal dialogue, Dr Chikezie Obasi, while speaking on the theme: ”Stepping up The Pace: Strengthening Alliances and Building Movements to End FGM”, called for collaboration among media practitioners to end the practice.
He said: ‘According to UNICEF, 2024, Nigeria has the highest number of FGM survivors in the world with 19.9 million women affected. Over 230 million girls and women, worldwide, have undergone FGM/C. It is also estimated that $1.4 billion is expended annually on management of complications arising from it.’
He listed some FGM/C practices to include clitoridectomy, excision, infibulation and piercing of the clitoris, which, he said, had become a sort of fashion for some young women. He also listed the consequences to include; bleeding, infection, shock, urination difficulty, among others.
He called on media practitioners to continue to put the matter in the front burner and also disseminate information that would enlighten the people and also highlight the dangers of the practice.
