By NATIONAL PANEL Reporters
The Coalition of Eastern Non-Governmental Organisations (CENGOs) said massaging of the clitoris is another form of practicing female genital mutilation/cutting.
CENGOs on Wednesday made the disclosure in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.
The group stated that Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting is a violation of human rights in its highest order.
According to the Coordinator of CENGOs in Ebonyi State, Nancy Oko-Onya, massaging of the clitoris is another form of genital mutilation, of which many people including nursing mothers, play ignorance to the practice.
The coordinator who was speaking during a training for media practitioners at ViennaHill Hotels in Abakaliki, also revealed that feme genital mutulation/cutting is mostly practiced in Ohaukwu Local Government followed by Afikpo North in the state.
She however, called for combative campaigns by individuals and groups to to end the practice as she enumerated its deadly consequences on the practitioners.
“In Ebonyi, Ohaukwu takes the first position, then Afikpo North comes second of the practice.
“We have already done a survey in the target communities. We are working on three (3) Local Government Areas and we have a control LGA.
“The benefitting LGAs are Afikpo North, Abakaliki and Ebonyi; the control LGA is Izzi.
“Whatever effort you can put in to make sure we achieve this, please do that; as an individual, as a group.”
Further, Oko-Onya stated that much attention has been given to the notorious Ohaukwu by other organizations and as such her group would handle the earlier mentioned council areas.
Also speaking, Dr Olaronke Afolabi of Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, harped on ‘Understanding Social Norms and Traditional Practices of FGM cum Health and Legal Implications of FGM."
Afolabi said, the rights of women are being violated, noting that there is no health benefit in Female Genital Mutilation and as such, the practice should not be stopped.
“FGM is a gross violation of human rights of girls and women. These rights include the right to non-discrimination, to protection from physical and mental violence, and to the highest attainable standard of health and the right to life.
“FGM has no health benefits and it harms girls and women in many ways. It involves removing and damaging healthy and normal female genital tissue and interferes with the natural functions of girls and women’s bodies,” she Said.
Afolabi expressed unhappiness at the rate of increased practices of the act whereby Nigeria is rated the 3rd highest worldwide and called on all citizens to join hands to make a better and positive change.
Ways to end this ugly practice according to those who spoke during the event, range from deepening conversation through relatable inferences -evidence of based story telling, endorsements of the zero mutilation/ cutting campaign by notable personalities within and outside the community; tracking of zero mutilation/cutting and holding stakeholders accountable, among others.
Recall that CENGOs partners the Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre (CIRDDOC), with the mission and vision to ensure that human rights are guaranteed.
Media Practitioners were urged to use their respective media platforms to embark on aggressive campaigns against the harmful practices in the society. -Prompt News.
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