What you should know
Female genital mutilation, Gender-based Violence, Child Marriage and Violence against Women and Children are all human rights violations and harmful practices.
FGM is mostly carried out on young girls between infancy and age 15. FGM is recognized internationally as a violation of humans right of girls and women FGM is a violation of rights of the children and violation of a person’s right to health, security, and physical integrity, the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, and the right to life when the procedure results in death.
Furthermore, girls usually undergo the practice without their informed consent, depriving them of the opportunity to make independent decision about their bodies and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women.
Female Genital mutilation (FGM) includes procedures that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. The procedure has no health benefits for girls and women.
Facts and Figures…
- 1 in 3 women worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime.
- Globally, as many as 38% of murders of women are committed by a male partner.
Over 200 million women and girls have experienced female genital mutilation. - Each year, 15 million girls are married before the age of 18. That is 28 girls every minute.
- It is estimated that up to 10 million children are victims of child sexual exploitation.
- As many as 1 in 4 women experience physical and/or sexual violence during pregnancy.
- As many as 150 million girls worldwide are raped or subject to sexual violence each year, usually by someone in their family circle.
- Over 700 million women alive today were married as children (under the age of 18).
- Domestic violence is a global problem that affects 35% of women worldwide.
- Globally, around 137 women are killed by their partner or a family member every day.
- Women between the ages of 15 and 44 are at a higher risk of rape and domestic violence than cancer, car accidents, malaria or being injured in war.
IMMEDIATE COMPLICATIONS CAN INCLUDE:
Severe pain, Excessive bleeding (haemorrhage), Genital tissue swelling, Fever, Infections e.g., tetanus, Urinary problems, Wound healing problems, Injury to surrounding genital tissue, Shock and Death.
LONG TERM COMPLICATIONS CAN INCLUDE:
· Urinary problems, Vaginal problems (discharge, itching), Poverty, Menstrual problems, Scar tissue, Cyst and Keloid, Sexual problems (decreased satisfaction, etc.),Increased risk of childbirth complications, Psychological issues, Infertility.
MYTHS ABOUT FGM
1. MYTH:
Women that are not cut will be Promiscuous. FGM will control their sexual desire and preserve their virginity
FACT: This is not true! Women can control their sexual desire without undergoing Female Genital Mutilation. Talking to your girls about her sexuality and building good morals in her helps to make responsible and informed decisions about her sexuality. There are Women that are cut yet promiscuous and there are women that were not cut and are not promiscuous.
2. MYTH:
FGM assures women faithfulness to their husbands
FACT:
FGM does not assure women of being faithful. Faithfulness is a choice and decision that lies within an individual. Many women who are not mutilated remains faithful to their husband
3. MYTH:
Clitoris kills a baby during child birth if not cut.
FACT: That is not true. Clitoris touching the head of a baby during child birth has nothing to do with survival of the baby
4. MYTH:
FGM is a Religious requirement
FACT: This is not true! While FGM is predominantly practiced in countries with higher Muslim populations, it cannot be considered a Muslim custom. FGM is practiced in Egypt but not in Saudi Arabia, both predominantly Islamic countries. Many Muslim organisations called the practice un-Islamic. FGM is practiced in certain Christian communities as well, and is a common practice among the Traditional Worshippers. There is no mention of FGM in the Quran, Bible and Odu Ifa .
Even though FGM is not prescribed by any religious text, many of those practicing it may consider it a religious obligation since female sexual purity plays an important role in many religious communities.
5. MYTH:
FGM is assures cleanliness and hygiene among women.
FACT: This is not true. Personal cleanliness and hygiene cannot be achieved FGM
What the law says…
Oyo State government has domesticated the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law in 2020, and 2 other laws that previously existed in the state.
These laws prohibit and prescribe punishment for offenders of Female Genital Mutilation, Gender-based violence, Child Marriage, Violence against Women and Children as well as other harmful practices.
Purnishments includes but not limited to jail term and/or payment of fine as well as other penalties.
What you Should do
- Speak up about Female Genital Mutilation, Gender-based Violence, Violence Against Children and Women as well as Child Marriage
- Protect the right of Women and Girls
- Create awareness about ending FGM, GBV, VAWC, and Child Marriage in your community.
- Advocate to religious/community leaders to denounce FGM, GBV, VAWC and Child Marriage and lead a collective action to abolish these practices.
- Support girls/women/boys/men to speak out against FGM, GBV, VAWC and Child Marriage and report cases to the appropriate authorities in my community. (Oyo State Toll free Number: 0800-400-4040 and TBI: +234-807-450-4078 or email: report@trailblazerinitiative.org.ng)
- Identify, Report, Respond and refer FGM, GBV, VAWC and Child Marriage cases to the appropriate authorities in your community and Oyo State.
We are calling on you to join and drive this Movement for good to end FGM (M4Good).
M4Good is a community-led undertaking to accelerate grassroots efforts to end FGM in Ebonyi, Ekiti, Imo, Osun and Oyo States.
M4Good will mobilise five (5) million people who will pledge and “Act to End FGM” in the five states.
You can pledge to “Act to end FGM” (its free): visit www.act2endfgm.com/rtbi.
We invite you to participate in #TrailblazerChallenge – an avenue for you to lend your voice to the elimination of Female Genital Mutilation, Gender-Based Violence, Violence Against Women and Children and Child Marriage on Social media and win a lot of gifts! Learn More on our Facebook page @TrailblazerNGO
