From Magnus Eze
A middle-aged female teacher at Plato Government Vocational Secondary School, Ezzamgbo in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State had obstructed labour due to the extensive cut in her genital organ in the name of circumcision.
Though she has had to live with the emotional scar, it has remained an experience she would not even wish her worst enemy to pass through.
She is also determined and has been speaking out against female genital mutilation (FGM).
Nigeria accounts for the most female genital mutilation cases globally, with Ebonyi and Imo states in the South-East zone ranking among the six states in the country where the practice is still prevalent.
With a prevalence rate of 74 per cent, according to the National Demographic and Health Survey 2013, Ebonyi State ranks the second highest in FGM practice in the country.
However, history was made on June 19, this year in the state as the people of Izzi comprising 26 communities and three local government areas (Abakaliki, Ebonyi and Izzi) made a public declaration on the abandonment of the practice of female genital mutilation in their land following aggressive campaign waged against the harmful practice by the Ebonyi State governor’s wife, Mrs. Rachel Umahi, through her Family Succour and Upliftment Foundation with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
In the declaration signed by the Izzi Clan Traditional Rulers’ Forum and custodians of Izzi culture, the royal fathers stated: “It, therefore, stands that we have today expunged and outlawed the practice of female genital mutilation and cutting from the culture of Izzi clan and mandate Izzi traditional rulers to publicize it in their domains”.
The declaration marked a watershed in the history of Izzi land as it would bring huge relief to generations of young girls and women who would henceforth live a life without FGM.
Prior to this period, the African Youth Initiative on Population, Health and Development (AfrYPoD) through its Generational Advocacy by Youths to End FGM in Nigeria (GAYEF) project; co-funded with the Girl Generation, being implemented in Ebonyi State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was working assiduously to obliterate FGM in three local government councils of the state namely: Ebonyi, Ohaukwu and Ohaozara.
Its strategies included sensitization of students and teachers, as well as training of peer educators in Abakaliki High School (Presco), Plato Vocational Secondary School, Ezzamgbo and Ezi Okposi High School, Okposi, Ohaozara.
So far, AfrYPoD has trained over 60 peer educators and sensitized 40 teachers in the three secondary schools in Ebonyi State, while more than 3,000 students were reached with the ‘EndFGM’ messages in the state and FCT.
AfrYPoD President, Dr Laz Eze told Oriental News that more than two million persons had been reached by the Non-Governmental Organisation through the social media with messages discouraging the practice of FGM, using the hashtag ‘NigEndFGM’.
The highpoint of its fight against FGM in Ebonyi was a quiz competition among the three secondary schools on July 5, this year, where Abakaliki High School emerged the winner.
Eze, who led a team, including the AfrYPoD Nigeria Country Representative, Mukhtar Ijaiya, to traverse Ebonyi since 2016, described the ban of FGM by the traditional institution of Izzi clan as the most strategic success story ever recorded in recent times.
“We commend the Government of Ebonyi State, the traditional rulers’ council and development partners for championing the efforts to eliminate FGM in the state.
“We also recognize specially the great works done by the wife of the governor of Ebonyi State, Mrs. Rachel Umahi, through her organization – Family Succour and Upliftment Foundation in making the public declaration against FGM possible.
“We love what we saw in Izzi land and we are excited that other communities and clans in Ebonyi State are also preparing to expunge and outlaw FGM from their cultural practices. We call on the Ebonyi State House of Assembly to enact a law immediately to ban FGM; this can be achieved by the domestication of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, 2015. We feel encouraged by the government and people of Ebonyi State and hereby reaffirm our commitment to keep raising young champions against FGM to ensure sustainability of the gains being made. All hands must remain on deck to end FGM in this generation,” the leader said.
Also in Imo State, FGM was handed a red card as another NGO, Devatop Centre for Africa Development with support from the Girl Generation had trained over 115 health workers, teachers, youth leaders, community leaders, National Youth Service Corps members, and religious leaders from six local government areas in Okigwe zone.
According to the organization’s Executive Director, Joseph Osuigwe, the training which was held at Ehime Mbano Council headquarters was intended to raise advocates who would be at the forefront of ending female genital mutilation in more than 60 communities within six local government councils in the zone.
Oriental News learnt that the trained advocates were given small/sub-grant and awareness materials to carry out community projects such as: workshop/seminar, market awareness, talk show, community outreach, one-on-one sensitization, town hall meetings, market awareness, and school outreaches.
The newly empowered advocates were expected to promote societal dialogue and the empowerment of communities to act collectively to end the practice of FGM.
It is also believed that through the training and projects by the advocates, traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth, grassroots networks and those who had suffered from FGM would start speaking out and be at the forefront of eliminating the human rights abuse.
“More people will be actively involved in fostering actions against FGM. Each of the advocates is expected to sensitize 100 community members on the dangers of female genital mutilation before September, 2017,” Osuigwe said.
UNICEF Consultant, Benjamin Mbakwem and Director of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Ebonyi State, Dr Emma Abba, were part of the resource team.
In his presentation, Mbakwem identified the dangers associated with FGM to include severe bleeding, shock, leakage of urine and faeces, complications at childbirth and mental failure.
He debunked the baseless opinion in some quarters that circumcision or female genital mutilation curbs promiscuity, arguing that promiscuity largely stems from orientation rather than the non-tampering with the female genitals.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony which attracted traditional rulers and community presidents-general, Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu, who was represented by Dr Uche Diala, assured participants of his commitment to join hands to end the practice in the senatorial district. He promised to stimulate actions among stakeholders and policy makers towards ending female genital mutilation.
Devatop like AfrYPoD is a youth-based NGO that has also carried out projects on ending FGM in the seven LGAs of the FCT; collaborating with the Girl Generation; two organisations that are poised to wiping out female genital mutilation in Ebonyi and Imo states.