-Blank NEWS Online (NIGERIA) – Edited By Albert OGRAKA:
As part of measures to eliminate the harmful traditional practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Nigeria, the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN) has pledged its readiness to collaborate with the Federal Government and International Development Partners to address the menace.
The National President, Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Dr. (Mrs.) Minnie Oseji made this known in her speech during the occasion to mark the 2020 International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation in Asaba.
She described the Female Genital Mutilation as a harmful traditional practice prevalent in many developing countries including Nigeria with its devastating consequences on the health of the woman.
Dr. Oseji listed the complications that could arise from the harmful practice to include menstrual difficulties, painful sexual intercourse, problems in child birth, urinary retention, infection and bleeding which could lead to death from shock.
She decried the non-existence of ‘Well Woman Clinics’ in Nigeria as is obtainable in developed countries, set up for immigrant women who come from countries where they practice FGM as they have trained health personnel to handle such complications.
Many Medical Women in Nigeria have attended to women who have undergone this harmful traditional practice and so are major stakeholders in the quest to eliminate it.
As part of the Associations contribution to ensure Zero Tolerance to FGM in Nigeria, the President said that her National Secretariat will mount an aggressive campaign in locations from where large numbers of cases are being reported, emphasizing on legislation enacted to eliminate this harmful traditional practice.
She appealed to the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja to initiate a reporting process for old and new cases of FGM identified by health workers during provision of routine health care services, just as it is done for infectious diseases and maternal death, as this process would contribute to determining the magnitude of the problem as well as identifying factors responsible for the persistence of the practice.
According to her, “we will work together with all relevant stakeholders to support the reporting process and provide training for relevant health workers in this regard.
The event is celebrated every 6th of February since 2012. And the theme for year 2020 celebration is “Unleashing Youth Power”.
