According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Nigeria has the third greatest number of women and girls who have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM) in the world, with an estimated 19.9 million survivors.
The mutilation of girls is epidemic in Nigeria, according to a UNICEF report released to celebrate the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM.
The report partly reads, “UNICEF today warned that female genital mutilation is on the rise among Nigerian girls aged 0-14. Rates have risen from 16.9 percent in 2013 to 19.2 percent in 2018, a worrying trend, according to UNICEF.
“Female genital mutilation (FGM) remains widespread in Nigeria”, it said.
According to NDHS data, national prevalence of FGM among women aged 15-49 declined from 25% in 2013 to 20% in 2018. However, prevalence among girls aged 0-14 increased from 16.9% to 19.2% during the same time period.
Females were cut at a rate of 86 percent before the age of five, and 8% between the ages of eight and fourteen.
68 million girls are predicted to be at risk of female genital mutilation between 2015 and 2030, according to the report, as the globe commemorates the International Day of Zero Tolerance of FGM today.
“As COVID-19 continues to close schools and disrupt programmes that help protect girls from this harmful practice, an additional two million additional cases of FGM may occur over the next decade.
“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”.
Disparities in practice exist across Nigeria. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, state incidence ranges from 62 percent in Imo to less than one percent in Adamawa and Gombe.
FGM is most common in the South-East (35%) and South-West (30%), and least common in the North-East (6%), according to the report.
“‘The Movement for Good’ will reach 5 million adolescent girls and boys, women – including especially pregnant and lactating mothers – men, grandparents, and traditional, community and religious leaders, legislators, justice sector actors, and state officials through an online pledge to ‘say no’ to FGM.
“The movement will mobilise affected communities for concrete action at the household level to protect girls at risk of FGM. It will challenge misconceptions on FGM and the discriminatory reasons it is practised and break the silence around the practice together with communities.”
Internationally, female genital mutilation (FGM) is considered a violation of girls’ and women’s human rights. It is an extreme kind of discrimination against girls and women, and it represents deep-seated gender inequality.
