As I was scrolling through Facebook this morning, I came cross an article saying that as of May 5, 2016, Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan banned female genital mutilation in his country. For anyone who knows what this horribly disgusting practice is, you can understand my excitement upon reading this. For those of you who are not familiar with this process, female genital mutation or cutting (FGM/C), like the name sounds, is the act of intentionally altering or hurting the female genitals for non-medical purposes.
With FGM/C being practiced in around 29 countries worldwide with 100-140 million girls being subject to this barbaric practice. Most of the girls that go through this process are between the ages of newborn and 15 years old, but some adult women may go through the process as well. The purpose behind FGM/C is often associated with cultural reasons although it varies from country to country. Some believe uncut women are "unclean", while others do it as a religious passage. It's possible that families may force their daughters to do it so they are accepted by their community. Nonetheless, there is no reason why this practice should be going on, especially in our day and age. Nigeria alone is responsible for around one quarter of these mutilations, which is why this new law is so important. This law also prohibits men to abandon their wives and children without economic and financial support.
There are four major types of FGM/C which are clitoridectomy, excision, infibulation, and any other harmful procedure to the female genitalia.Not only is this practice emotionally scarring, it is also extremely dangerous and life threatening. Often times conditions are extremely unsanitary with usage of contaminated instruments including knives, razors, and glass shards. Wounds are rarely cared for properly, so infection is a very common occurrence. Immediate complications include pain, excessive bleeding, fever, infection, urinary problems, shock, and death, while lifelong problems may also include vaginal problems, menstrual problems, sexual problems, complications with child birth, early death, and more.
Although this new law is a huge step in the right direction towards eliminating this disgusting procedure, it is still only the beginning of the fight for women's rights. In the majority of these countries where FGM/C is occurring, women are still not nearly thought of as equal.Until we get rid of the traditional cultural views on women that still occupy much of the world, our mission is not over.
