Infant-female genital mutilation (IFGM) in cities and the role of women in perpetuating FGM: a probe on why FGM persists in urban centers in Nigeria (2015)
This study is a Descriptive research regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics:
Author(s): BN Onyima
FGM/C Type(s): All
Health area of focus: None.
Objective: To examine:
1. The role of women in propagating FGM in cities.
2. Factors perpetuating FGM in cities
3. Ways this harmful cultural practice can be eliminated from the Nigerian cities
Study Population: Women who have given birth to at-least a girl child
Findings: Study found prevailing wrong notions/perceptions of the female body by women themselves,such as the ugliness of the clitoris which led women into FGM. Massaging infant vagina with Vaseline and other ointments,was notably from recent times considered as ‘alternative’ to FGM. There also seemed to be a preference for infant girl/female genital mutilation’ (IFGM) at an age when infants could neither complain nor resist,to teenage or adult girl/female’ genital mutilation (AFGM). This arguably was in a bid to avoid the stress parents,particularly grandmothers and mother-in-laws,went through while trying to convince a grown-up teenage girl child to succumb to the gruesome and painful cultural practice of ‘slicing the clitoris’. The study highlighted new dimensions to the practice of FGM in Nigeria,the role of women in propagating FGM and its child right implications. The study,therefore recommended that the search for beauty in the vagina must be discouraged among women through greater sensitization of city-women by National orientation agency,women legal professional associations,media,health institutions and sanctioning of culprits.
Geographical coverage
Region(s):Western Africa
Country(ies):Nigeria