By Dorcas Samson Achi
Founder,
Dorcas Foundation For Women And Girl Child
Every February 6 brings to mind a brutal and heinous form of abuse and violence against over 230 million girls and women all over the world. This day makes us conscious of the physical, emotional and psychological pains and harm done to innocent women just to satisfy or justify a tradition of a given people.
As the world celebrates the international day for zero tolerance of Female Genital Mutilation with the theme “Stepping Up the Pace: Strengthening Alliances and Building Movements to End FGM”, let us learn about the hazards, dangers and hurts done to girls and women each time you mutilate them.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a traditional practice of removing partial or total external genitalia of girls and young women for non-medical reasons. It involves removing and damaging healthy and normal female genital tissue which interferes with the natural functions of girls’ and women’s bodies. This is mostly done as a tradition in many places to instill self control and sexual purity in young girls.
When a girl child is circumcised, her natural body system changes. The way God created her body to react and function, changes. Her sensitizations reduce drastically. She may or may not have urge or desire for sexual intercourse with the opposite sex including her future husband.
Some cultures promote FGM as a certain way of ensuring a young girl keeps her virginity for her future husband and remains faithful to her husband. The proponents of this traditional practice forgot to note that when a girl child is mutilated, she doesn’t desire a man including the future husband she is being reserved her for. Harmony and intimacy in marriage is under serious threat with FGM.
Let us ascertain some other short term and long term complications of FGM.
Immediate complications of FGM can include severe pain, excessive bleeding (haemorrhage), genital tissue swelling, fever, infections e.g.tetanus, urinary problems, wound healing problems, injury to surrounding genital tissue, shock, death etc.
Long-term complications can include, Urinary problems (painful urination, urinary tract infections);
Vaginal problems (discharge, itching, bacterial vaginosis and other infections);
Menstrual problems (painful menstruations, difficulty in passing menstrual blood, etc.);
Scar tissue and keloid;
Sexual problems (pain during intercourse, decreased satisfaction, etc.);
Increased risk of childbirth complications (difficult delivery, excessive bleeding, caesarean section, need to resuscitate the baby, etc.) and newborn deaths;
need for later surgeries: women with Type 3 might require deinfibulation (opening the infibulated scar to allow for sexual intercourse and childbirth.
psychological problems (depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, low self-esteem, etc.
FGM is an extreme form of discrimination against girls and women. It has been proven to be of no benefit to girls and women, instead it is a violation of their human rights, their rights to good health, life and proper growth.
FGM is categorised into four types, they are:
Type 1: This is the partial or total removal of the clitoral glans (the external and visible part of the clitoris, which is a sensitive part of the female genitals), and/or the prepuce/clitoral hood (the fold of skin surrounding the clitoral glans).
Type 2: This is the partial or total removal of the clitoral glans and the labia minora (the inner folds of the vulva), with or without removal of the labia majora (the outer folds of skin of the vulva).
Type 3: Also known as infibulation, this is the narrowing of the vaginal opening through the creation of a covering seal. The seal is formed by cutting and repositioning the labia minora, or labia majora, sometimes through stitching, with or without removal of the clitoral prepuce/clitoral hood and glans.
Type 4: This includes all other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes, e.g., pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterizing the genital area.
It is worthy to note however, that the four types of FGM mentioned above poses health risks but the risk is greater with more severe forms of FGM. None of them should be practised no matter how simple it appears.
It is appalling that even health workers are performing FGM due to the belief that the procedure is safer when medicalized, and also that medicalization of FGM could be a first step towards full abandonment of the practice. Health Care Providers should be advocates for FGM abandonment within the hospital environment, their families and communities. It has been proven that FGM has no health benefits, instead it harms girls and women in many ways. This year’s awareness creation is to ingrave the dangers of FGM in the hearts of mothers, fathers and every member of the society. Let’s say NO to FGM.
World Health Organisation (WHO) should be appluaded for its strong fight against FGM. It strongly urges health workers not to perform FGM and has developed a global strategy and specific materials to support the health sector and health workers themselves to end FGM medicalization. With WHO’s support and training, many health care providers are becoming advocates for FGM abandonment within the clinical setting, their families and communities.
We must step up the pace, strengthen alliances and movements to end Female Genital Mutilation.
