86% of Nigerian Girls cut before aged five-UNICEF

An estimated 86 per cent of Nigerian girls are cut before the age of five, while eight per cent are cut between ages five and 14, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has revealed.

While the national prevalence of Female genital mutilation (FGM) among women in Nigeria aged 15 to 49 dropped from 25 per cent in 2013 to 20 per cent in 2018, prevalence among girls aged zero to 14 however increased from 16.9 per cent to 19.2 per cent in the same period, the National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) figures showed.

In a press statement, made available to ireporteronline, UNICEF representative in Nigeria, Peter Hawkins, said FGM is on the rise among Nigerian girls aged zero to four, adding that rates have risen from 16.9 per cent in 2013 to 19.2 per cent in 2018.

“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. An estimated 86 per cent of females were cut before the age of five, while eight per cent were cut between ages five and 14,” Hawkins averred.

As the world today commemorates the International Day of Zero Tolerance of FGM, UNICEF disclosed that 68 million girls worldwide were estimated to be at risk of female genital mutilation between 2015 and 2030. As COVID-19 continues to close schools and disrupt programmes that help protect girls from this harmful practice, the organisation added that an additional two million 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. 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 Hawkins.

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

Hawkins said UNICEF is initiating a community-led movement to eliminate FGM in Ebonyi, Ekiti, Imo, Osun and Oyo states, where it is highly prevalent, as nearly three million girls and women would have undergone FGM in these States in the last five years.

“The Movement for Good” will reach five 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 practiced and break the silence around the practice together with communities,” he added.