By; MKPUMA ENYINNA, Abakaliki
Female Genital Mutilation has been a harmful cultural practices that has lasted for decades in some communities and local government areas in Ebonyi State.
According to World Health Organization (WHO) Female Genital Mutilation comprises all procedures involving the removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.
Most often, FGM is practiced on girls and young women under 18. FGM has no health benefits. On the contrary, the practice can cause life-lasting physical and psychological trauma.
This obnoxious practices in some communities has made so many women and girls vulnerable to diseases and hard labour during childbirth, which do result in total deformity and untimely death.
Based on this prevailing circumstances surrounding Female Genital Mutilation and its health consequences, our reporter focuses on the success stories of FGM and UNICEF interventions with other Development Agencies to end female genital mutilation in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
While interacting with some opinion leaders and NOA officials in Ohaukwu LGA of Ebonyi State over the success story recorded by UNICEF and other development agencies like NOA to end female genital mutilation in their various towns and villages, the traditional ruler of Amaeku Mgbo in Ohaukwu LGA, HRH Eze Peter Awoke Ekuma, while Chronicling his experience in the fight against the ugly practice, stated that the worst evil a person can do to each other is female genital mutilation.
The royal father explained that he started fighting against FGM in 1975 which made some people to sue him to court, but because he was fighting a just cause, he won the case.
He also noted that with UNICEF interventions with other partners through their sensitization campaigns and other measures taken as the traditional ruler, FGM practice has been reduced drastically in various communities in Ohaukwu.
“The worst evil a person can do to each other is Female Genital Mutilation.I started the fight in 1975. As I speak to you now, circumcision is no longer in practice in Ohaukwu LGA, courtesy of UNICEF and other agencies like NOA. They have fought a good fight. As a traditional ruler, I have set up a number of committees to monitor FGM activities in Amaeku Mgbo Community in Ohaukwu and since five years till date, I have not found one, it is no longer in practice in this area.
“I have championed this fight against female genital mutilation since 1975 in Ohaukwu, Ngbo, Ishia and Effium.
When asked about the success story recorded through UNICEF interventions, he said,
“We have so many success stories because I toured the whole places myself to find out if there is any woman that brought her daughter to any clinic for circumcision. I told the villagers to always report to me.
“Before now, young women die of bleeding during cut with razor, while others contact diseases because of contamination. Sometimes, the woman will die with unborn child but now, all these things have been stopped with the aid of UNICEF interventions. I have been charged to court because of this in 1975 and I won the case.”
Chief Ekuma also added that the challenges they are facing is from some misguided elements who are yet to agree that FGM is bad.
While speaking on the measures put in place to stop FGM,
he said, “the measures we put to tackle this is that , anybody found in the practice will pay fifty thousand naira(#50,000) as a fine.While the person that brought the information will be offered twenty thousand naira (#20,000), and I have a strong committee working on this.”
He appreciated the efforts National Orientation Agency(NOA) in sensitization and provision of necessary information to curb the menace.
On her part, Mrs. Elechi Onyekachi, a National Orientation and Mobilization Officer in Ohaukwu, acknowledged the fact that the practice was in in vogue with some cultural practices that encourages it, but with the interventions of UNICEF, there has been a lot of success stories since there has not been any record of FGM recently.
“Our people are practicing Female Genital Mutilation. There is an age you will reach in Amike Community, they will now take you to the play group, but before then, you will stay inside your parents room for three months and won’t be doing anything. The will provide you with locally made powder to robe on your body.
“At the peak of the celebration, your people will bring you out and bath you so that you will be beautiful and sparkling during the festival and after that, circumcision will take place.
“Throughout this period, their movement is restricted. This is done between 15 to 18 years, when that person starts menstruating.
“I have been championing this for over eight years since I got job with National Orientation Agency.
“My success story is that, it is very difficult for you to see anybody doing such practices in my community. Before now, it is very hard to convince people. Sometimes, people will tell you that what you are doing is not good and they won’t listen to you, but as time went by, they will see reasons to obey.
Mrs. Onyekachi said that when they started earlier, they were told to engage with traditional rulers and community leaders like the town union president, women leaders, among others because they will assist to convince the people to stop it.
She added that the few that are still doing it, are doing it in a hidden place, saying that when they visited Amechi community, all the traditional birth attendants that were promoting it were invited, and after speaking with them, through the support of UNICEF, they openly declared that they are not going to involve in such practices again.
“As it is presently, I don’t think my people are still doing it.”
Concerning the measures taken to stop it, she explained that they will always meet with women during their August meetings and also the youth by going to churches to talk to them, including having meetings with traditional rulers and social clubs on this issue because it is a continuous engagement.
“The health workers are also working with us. We do have meetings with the community champions regularly and we have our register from various communities, where they file information about their place.
Mrs. Elom Rose from Okposhi Eheku and Mrs. Nwankwo Evelyn from Amike community respectively, were not left out as the shared their horrible experiences over FGM.
Mrs. Elom regretted that out of her six children, five were cut out of ignorance, which made her join the campaign against FGM when she realized her mistakes, while Mrs. Nwankwo Evelyn lauded the efforts of UNICEF in the war against FGM, saying that she has been in the fight for over six years and UNICEF in collaboration with NOA, has been championing this in order to have a better society.
They all expressed satisfaction over the activities of UNICEF and NOA to stop this ugly trend that has eaten deep into the society.
In 2003, the United Nations declared February 6th of every year as “International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM.
The date has since been celebrated in pursuant of the need to stem awareness and campaigns with aim to ending this harmful practice.
