CSBS News Desk
The ugly experiences associated with the age-old practice of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) in some states in the country have led to the introduction of the subject as part of the curriculum in the teaching of nurses and doctors by the Nursing Council of Nigerian (NCN) and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
This decision was taken at a just concluded two-day media dialogue with editors, feature writers on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Abandonment in Nigeria organized by the Advocacy Unit, Child Rights Information Bureau (CRIB) of the Federal Ministry of Information, in collaboration with the United Children’s Fund (UNICEF), to mark the World Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in Osogbo, Osun state.
The National President of Inter-Africa Committee on Harmful/Violence Practices against Women and Children (FGM), Professor Modupe Onadeko observed that there was no single benefit from female genital mutilation and cutting.
According to her, it has now become a punishable offence for any medical practitioner, be he/she a nurse or doctor to be involved in the practice of female genital mutilation/cutting, hence the Harmful/Violence Practices against Women and Children was introduced into the curriculum of the medical profession.
In her presentation on, “The Practice and Experience of FGM/C in Nigeria” she said the practice of FGM/C is widely common in parts of south west, South-South, South East and areas located around Chad and Niger Republic extending to some areas in North-East like Kano, Abuja, Nassarawa among others where certain cultural practice has infiltrated.
She said, though the prevalence of cutting is more in the south west and south south, some tribes are however practicing the unclassified types including one which is often referred to as medical circumcision. “Here a medical practitioner helps to carry out the procedure in a facility to eliminate infections.
“Whichever form or method of mutilation or injury done on the female child, this is unacceptable and it is a harmful practice that must be stopped forthwith”, said Onadeko.
Share this
