Female circumcision, which is the partial or total cutting of the external female (clitoris) genitalia, has been practiced for centuries in most parts of Africa.
In Nigeria, for example, some ethnic groups do celebrate it as a rite of passage from a young girl to womanhood, while in some other parts of the country as a woman before marriage and giving it a matter of compulsion when pregnant to be circumcised before giving birth.
This circumcision is often carried out more often than not under very unhealthy conditions with unsterilized materials that can cause permanent health problems as well as severe pains. It can as well lead to the death of the person, and with the attendant risk involved, some people still look at it as an important part of culture and ethnic identity.
There have been some controversies on this female circumcision, some persons view the practice as being detrimental to the women’s health and well-being, while others consider it a ritualized form of abuse and violence against women. Some have even gone far to say it is a violation of human rights.
It is either done during infancy, as adolescent or during a woman’s first pregnancy. It is carried out in three ways: the first, the clitoris is cut in parts, the second involves both the clitoris and the labia minora are removed, while the last, which is considered to be severe, involves that the labia minora is cut or scraped away to create raw surfaces, which are held in contact till it heals.
In a recent advocacy against female circumcision, a mother and civil servant, Mrs Lillian Ehikioya from Edo Central, said the general beliefs are if a female child is not circumcised it may lead to promiscuity, which is the assertion of some persons.
But there are advantages and disadvantages, but the disadvantages outweigh the advantages because some women think because of circumcision they do not enjoy xyz while on the other hand some feel it is enjoyable.
Traditionally, some families still do it but now there is a lot of awareness, especially on the health implications of carrying out circumcision but by and large, Mrs Ehikioya said it should not be encouraged.
An anonymous from Delta State said the issue of circumcision is a taboo in Isoko part of Delta State; a lady that is pregnant must not give birth without carrying out circumcision, and it must be done before such woman gives birth. If the ritual of circumcision is about to be done, the family will organize a big ceremony, the in-laws will come and special delicacies will be prepared (Owoh), rubbing themselves with white native chalk, celebrating that the woman has finally been circumcised, she narrated.
She however added that the process is painful but with the way the woman that has been circumcised will be pampered she will not feel the pain after a some minutes; but in other part of the state, the circumcision process is done when the child is still an infant before seven days old, it varies from one part of the state to another.
In the southern part of Edo State, Benin City and environ to be precise, with the enlightenment and education the culture and traditions of circumcision are almost not in existence, but it is still done in by some families.
Speaking on the issue, Mr Eghosa Edokpolo said it is still much done in their family, because all the women/females are all circumcised, it is their tradition and culture irrespective of the exposure; they still do it in the family.
However, efforts to completely eliminate female circumcision in the society have not been successful because of the cultural practices and beliefs in different families. Even with a law to prohibit female circumcision and genital mutilation by the House of Assembly of Edo State of Nigeria, people from the state still continue to carryout this act on their female children secretly without these females having a say in what is being done to them by their own family.
The question is how can this act be eliminated completely or will it just be allowed to be the way of the people because, according to research, it has not been found or proven that those females not circumcised are more promiscuous than those circumcised.
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Oise, a journalist and a social commentator, writes from Benin City
