WOMEN reproductive Rights advocates have raised their voices in condemnation of the recent mass circumcision of some young female children in Aruogba village in the outskirts of Benin City.
The women’s group concern is coming amidst recent mass circumcision exercise carried out on the innocent girls which complications arising from the act led to the death recently of one of the children named Divine Agbontaen in Aruogba, Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State.
Mrs Joy Ugbodaga, coordinator of the group said yesterday during a protest march in Benin City that they will stop at nothing to bring the hazardous practice to a conclusive end in the State.
She said that despite global outrage against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) communities in local government area of the state were still engaged in the old act of circumcision under the excuse of honouring age long cultural practices which they erroneously believe cleanses the young female initiates, and protects them from illicit sexual behaviours among other reasons.
According to Mrs Ugbodaga, FGM has harmful reproductive health implications for the victim, stating that it was high time the practice in Aruogba Village like their neighbours in Oredo local government area is stopped.
She said the group would do all within its capacity to discourage the archaic practice which she said was still being carried out under some munadane cultural beliefs that it prepares the young females for the challenges of motherhood.
“Female circumcision was in time past celebrated amidst funfare but having lost that glamour following it’s official ban, the natives now go about it clandestinely. They still believe that uncircumcised female children represent a taboo with dare consequences for the community and the government is complicit in all of this by not doing enough to stop the practice.
” As a result, parents including those aware of the health implications of such practices are often times blackmailed to submission.
” Our investigations revealed that the deceased child had started convolsing a week after the excision of part of her clitoris during the cultural ritual of female circumcision.
A visit to the village to confirm the story yielded no fruits. No one was ready to volunteer information as regards the cause of death of little Divine Agontaen and that was very frustrating”, she said.
However, the rights group has vowed to continue their advocacy against the inhuman practice which they say contrary to wide held beliefs among the natives, contributs nothing to the reproductive health of the individual victim of Female Genital Mutilation.
They blamed the governments at all levels for allowing FGM to continue by not being decisive in efforts to stop the dehumanizing practice which has caused the victims pains, rejection and even death as in the instant case.
