The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF says with an estimated 19.9 million survivors, Nigeria accounts for the third-highest number of women and girls who have undergone Female Genital Mutilation, FGM, globally.
UNICEF in a statement in commemoration of the International Day of
Zero Tolerance for FGM, warned of rising cases of female genital
mutilation, FGM, in Nigeria, especially among between aged 0 and 14
years. According to the global organization, it had become a source of
worry that the “rates have risen from 16.9 per cent in 2013 to 19.2
percent in 2018.”
The statement also quoted the UNICEF Nigeria Representative Peter
Hawkins, as saying Millions of girls are being robbed of their
childhoods, health, education, and aspirations every day by harmful
practices such as FGM.
UNICEF, while noting the disparity of the practice across Nigeria,
explained that state prevalence ranges from 62 percent in Imo to less
than one percent in Adamawa and Gombe. The prevalence of the
practice is highest in the South East, 35 percent and South West 30
percent and lowest in the North East 6 percent).
However the organisation is initiating a community-led movement to
eliminate FGM in five Nigerian states where it is highly prevalent:
Ebonyi, Ekiti, Imo, Osun and Oyo. Abou 3 million girls and women
would have undergone FGM in these States in the last five years.
