The Network of Reproductive Health Journalists Nigeria NRHJN has called on the Traditional Birth Attendants TBAs and Pregnant Women to say No to Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting FGM/C.
The state Coordinator of NRHJN , Mrs Fatima Muraina made the call during a sensitization programme with the TBAs and Pregnant women held to mark the international day of Zero tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation held in Akure, Ondo state.
Muraina in her remarks, urged women to stand against any practice that will undermine their health and general well-being later in future, as she charged the pregnant women not to fall for the social and cultural pressures to circumcise their girls.
In a lecture titled “Health hazards and effects of Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting, FGM/C Harmful Traditional Practices HTPs” the State coordinator of Inter African Committee on Harmful Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children, Mrs Adebayo Margaret condemned the believe that uncircumcised female child would be a prostitute saying that FGM should be condemned and abolished.
In her presentation, Adebayo said female circumcision could lead to infections, diseases, shocks, both complications and other negative consequences for a girl child.
According to her, “some mothers in-law tactically exposed their female children to genital Mutilation and insisting pressure on the wife to do it for the child.
“One of the effects is that when the child grows, she may not be sexually arouse easily and may not be able to satisfy her husband.
“Women should stand against this in anywhere and never allow the pressure of their mother in-law to push them to do it no matter what. No gain but pain. Stop giving the new born baby pains”.
In his remarks, the Ondo state Coordinator, Young African Initiative (YALI) Network, Mr Saheed Ibrahim called on the federal and state governments to enact and implement anti-female genital mutilation laws to stop the unhealthy practices in Nigeria.
Ibrahim noted that there should be proper implementation of the law and not just on a paper.
According to him, FGM is a crime against the girl child in view of its negative consequences to her well-being.
A medical expert, Dr Ade Balogun Daniels in his message, said “The world is moving very fast day by day and we are in the era in which modern activities has taken over the traditional system of the land”.
He urged the Traditional Birth Attendants, TBAs to join hands with the medical experts to make sure that pregnant women were registered in a hospital before they could be accepted by them and they should desist from the habit of circumcising female children.
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