The South West And Female Genital Mutilation

OTI, OKECHUKWU

Introduction

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as all procedures which involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia and/or injury to the female genital organs, whether for cultural or any other non-therapeutic reasons.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) remains widespread in Nigeria. With an estimated 19.9 million survivors, Nigeria accounts for the third highest number of women and girls who have undergone FGM worldwide.

Across Nigeria, disparities in the practice exist. State prevalence ranges from 35 per cent in Delta State to less than 1 per cent in Adamawa and Gombe. The prevalence of FGM is highest in the South West (62 per cent) and South East (30 per cent) and lowest in the North East (6 per cent).

The national prevalence rate of FGM is 41% among adult women. Prevalence rates progressively decline in the young age groups and 37% of circumcised women do not want FGM to continue. 61% of women who do not want FGM said it was a bad harmful tradition and 22% said it was against religion. Other reasons cited were medical complications (22%), painful personal experience (10%), and the view that FGM is against the dignity of women (10%).

However, there is still considerable support for the practice in areas where it is deeply rooted in local tradition, as a research was carried out at OVIAN NORTH EAST local government area of EDO State, South West of Nigeria, Gwalaja in Benin City of Nigeria and Utah in Bayelsa state of Nigeria.

Materials and Methods. Pertinent literature on FGM was retrieved from internet services [Google search on FGM in Nigeria, www.online Nigeria, PubMed of the National Library of Medicine www.medconsumer. Info/tropics/fgm.htm, Biomedcentral and African Journal Online (AJOL) (FGM)] and textbooks, journals, personal interviews of villagers and selected references for proper understanding of the topic was included in this review.

Origin and significance
FGM is a practice whose origin and significance is shrouded in secrecy, uncertainty, and confusion. The origin of FGM is fraught with controversy either as an initiation ceremony of young girls into womanhood or to ensure virginity and curb promiscuity, or to protect female modesty and chastity. The ritual has been so widespread that it could not have risen from a single origin.

In OVIAN NORTH EAST local government area of Edo State Nigeria, as well as other neighbouring states like Benin and Bayelsa states, it is carried out at a very young age (minors 0 to 14 years) and there is no possibility of the individual’s consent. Type I and Type II are more widespread and less harmful compared to Type III and Type IV which is practiced to a great extent at a community in OVIAN NORTH EAST known as Ugbogiobo . Practice of FGM has no relationship with religion. Muslims and Christians practice it, but it is more widely spread in Christian predominated parts of Nigeria and other forms.

Interviews and Research.
“The practice of FGM not only has no health benefits – it is deeply harmful to girls and women, both physically and psychologically. It is a practice that has no place in our society today and must be ended, as many Nigerian communities have already pledged to do,” said Peter Hawkins. UNICEF Representative in Nigeria.
“Millions of girls are being robbed of their childhoods, health, education, and aspirations every day by harmful practices such as FGM,” said Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria.

“The practice of FGM not only has no health benefits – it is deeply harmful to girls and women, both physically and psychologically. It is a practice that has no place in our society today and must be ended, as many Nigerian communities have already pledged to do,” said Peter Hawkins.

Abuja, 06 February 2022 – UNICEF today warned that female genital mutilation is on the rise among Nigerian girls aged 0-14. Rates have risen from 16.9 per cent in 2013 to 19.2 per cent in 2018, a “worrying trend,” according to UNICEF.

Sample selection of women who were victims of FGM at Utah, Benin city and Ovian North East in Edo State of Nigeria.

Twenty-two participants for the study were purposively selected, using snowball sampling, and included married women who had been subject to FGM, and their spouses. Marital status and prior mutilation of the female genitalia were considered as inclusion criteria for the women. Willingness to take part in the study was the only inclusion criterion for the spouses.

The age range, which was also an inclusion criterion, of female respondents was 2–30, due to the need to allow for notions of sexual satisfaction, coping, childbearing, marital experience and a depth of spousal relations among others.

Married women above the age of 30 were excluded for the reasons above-mentioned, as there was the need to interview women and children within the child-bearing age. Names of these women and children were withheld for obvious reasons to avoid stigmatization.

Also the sample shown reflects majority chosen but we can only take but a few for content. Minors whose photos appeared were taken with the authorization of their parents to aid the quest of stopping FGM.

Data collection and analysis.

Primary data were collected in July and August 2022 using semi-structured in-depth interviews, which were conducted in the respondent’s preferred language ( Benin, urhobo or English) and on average lasted for 1 h and 15 min per session.
Interviews were recorded and notes were taken by research assistants, and later translated into English language by interpreters.

Female researchers interviewed respondents to allow for respondent experiences to be freely expressed. Collected data were verified by the researchers, as well as interpreters and analysed using Atlas.ti version 7.5.7, and correlating basic themes were identified using open coding in the same software. Names of the correspondents were withheld for personal reasons and to avoid stigmatization.

When I asked my mother why she did it for me, she said she did not know, that it is something that has always been done. I can say it is just tradition.” (Female 3, age 0-19) Ethiope East.

“In the olden days, it was compulsory for circumcision to be done for both male and female. It is something we met, our forefathers used to do it and it was handed down to us.” (Female 3, age 0-19)

The respondents gave reasons for FGM. They regarded FGM as a tribal traditional practice (our custom is a good tradition and has to be protected), as a superstitious belief practiced for preservation of chastity and purification, family honor, hygiene, esthetic reasons, protection of virginity and prevention of promiscuity, modification of sociosexual attitudes (countering failure of a woman to attain orgasm), increasing sexual pleasure of husband, enhancing fertility and increasing matrimonial opportunities.

Other reasons are to prevent mother and child from dying during childbirth and for legal reasons (one cannot inherit property if not circumcised). In some parts of Nigeria, the cut edges of the external genitalia are smeared with secretions from a snail footpad with the belief that the snail being a slow animal would influence the circumcised girl to “go slow” with sexual activities in future. However, FGM is often routinely performed as an integral part of social conformity and in line with community identity.

”According to what I heard from my mother and what I have witnessed, any woman who is not circumcised cannot give birth. And any family that refused their ward to be circumcised will be banished from the community.

So, it is done to prevent infertility. I was in another state but mother forced me to come back and do it to avoid the villagers being angry with us.” (Female 4,age 0- 18.) Ovian Northeast, Edo State.

Health consequences of FGM

An estimated 100–140 million girls and women worldwide are currently living with the consequences of FGM. In Africa, about 3 million girls are at risk for FGM annually. Despite the increased international and little national attention, the prevalence of FGM overall has declined very little. The procedure has no health benefits for girls and women.

Adverse consequences of FGM are shock from pain and hemorrhage, infection, acute urinary retention following such trauma, damage to the urethra or anus in the struggle of the victim during the procedure making the extent of the operation dictated in many cases by chance, chronic pelvic infection, acquired gynatresia resulting in hematocolpos, vulval adhesions, dysmenorrhea, retention cysts, and sexual difficulties with anorgasmia. Other complications are implantation dermoid cysts and keloids, and sexual dysfunction.

Obstetric complications include perineal lacerations and inevitable need for episiotomy in infibulated paturients. Others are defibulation with bleeding, injury to urethra and bladder, injury to rectum, and purperial sepsis.

Prolonged labor, delayed 2nd stage and obstructed labor leading to fistulae formation, and increased perinatal morbidity and mortality have been associated with FGM. The mental and psychological agony attached with FGM is deemed the most serious complication because the problem does not manifest outwardly for help to be offered.

The young girl is in constant fear of the procedure and after the ritual she dreads sex because of anticipated pain and dreads childbirth because of complications caused by FGM. Such girls may not complain but end up becoming frigid and withdrawn resulting in marital disharmony.

”My child broke down with high fever after the mutilation. She was circumcised at 3years, six months. My husband complained bitterly but we kept it to ourselves because it is the way of our people.

At 4years old, she was finding it painful to urinate. She cries every time. A closer look at her private part, we discovered lumps of blood within the region of her clitoris. Even after visiting several clinics, she still feels pain each time she wants to urinate.”

At the grassroots, efforts should be taken to join in the crusade to say “NO” to FGM anywhere it is practiced among our people. It is crude, dangerous, wicked and unhealthy.

FGM is not required by any religion and there is no scientific evidence that women who have been mutilated are more faithful or better wives than those who have not undergone the procedure. It is very clear that there is no single benefit derived from FGM. These women, young girls are suffering both physically, emotionally and psychologically.