Foreword/Dedication
This Manuscript is dedicated to every single girl/women that has gone through FGM, the pain they carry and a scar that would last a lifetime.
"FGM is not just a physical wound, it is a social, emotional, and spiritual injury inflicted on millions of girls - many before they can even speak for themselves".
Introduction
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) refers to all procedures that involve the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female Genital organs for non - medical reasons.
It is an harmful traditional practice that violates the human rights of girls and women and had no health benefits.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) remains a significant concern in Nigeria today. Here's an overview of its current prevalence and trends.
National Prevalence and trends
Women aged 15-49 : Approximately 19.5% of Nigerian women aged 15-49 have undergone FGM. This reflects a decline overtime - from around 29.6% in 2008 to about 19.5% in lastest survey.
Nigeria Contributes one of the largest absolute number of women living with FGM globally due to its large population - estimated at 19.9 million women.
Despite legal layers (such as the 2015 Federal ban) enforcement varies across states - 32 of 37 states have laws against FGM, but actual enforcement remains inconsistent.
This Manuscript hope to expose the pain sustained from FGM, educate and perhaps end the tradition for future generations.
The Hidden Blade
My name is Zainab, I am from a small village near Kano, this is my Story, I am a victim of FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) a tradition that runs in my family, my mother carries the scar, my grandmother died with the scar.
" They told me I wouldn't be clean or worthy unless I went through with it"
I was ten years old, they told me I would become a woman, they said it would make me worthy, clean and marriageable.
They said every girl before me had gone through it.
They said it would only sting for a moment,but they lied.
That morning, my mother had woken me up to have my bath, she had prepared a warm water for me to bathe with, she even prepared one of my finest dress to wear, it felt like a special day.
My Aunties came with my favorite dishes, I didn't know what was in stock for me, my mum and aunties quietly led me to the back of our house, just beside the palm tree, where we often sat at night to listen to stories from my grandfather but that morning the only story told was carved into me with a rusty blade.
I screamed once, After that, the pain swallowed my voice.
I remember the old woman kneeling between my legs, I remember my mother holding my arms down, I remember blood, so much blood, I remember wishing I could fly away like the hawk above us.
For days I could not walk properly, I bled in silence, I burned inside. No one asked if I was okay, they told me I was now complete.
But something inside of me felt broken.
Years have passed, but that day still visits me in the night, I wake up sweating, legs clenched, heart racing. I am a woman now, they say, but I still feel like that little girl begging for someone to stop it.
Now I speak for girls in my village who are next.
I speak for Amina, who died after the cutting.
I Speak for Rahila, who ran away but was caught
I speak for every girl who was told pain is pride.
Global Statistics
An estimated 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone FGM
Over 4 million girls are at risk each year, especially during infancy to age 15
FGM is most prevalent in parts of Africa, the middle East, and Asia, but it also occurs among diaspora communities in Europe, North America and Australia.
High Prevalence Countries ( Based on UNICEF/WHO data)
• Somalia (=98%)
• Guinea (=97%)
• Djibouti (=93%)
•Egypt (=87%)
•Sudan (=86%)
Mali, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Ethiopia, Nigeria - significant regional variation
🇳🇬 Nigeria Specifics
• Nigeria accounts for 10% of all global FGM cases.
• Prevalence Varies by region and ethnic group.
Highest in the Southwest (Yoruba) and parts of the Southeast (Igbo)
Lower but still present in Northern Nigeria (Including among Hausa communities)
• Although banned under the Violence Against Person's (Prohibition) Act of 2015 , enforcement is inconsistent.
Consequences of FGM
FGM has no medical benefits and causes both immediate and long term harm
🛑 Immediate Consequences
• Severe pain and bleeding (Often done without anesthesia)
• Shock
• Infections (Due to use of unsterilized tools)
• Urinary Problems
• Death, in extreme case due to blood loss or sepsis.
🛑 Long - Term Physical Consequences
• Chronic infections
• Urinary and menstrual Complications
• Keloids and Scarring
• Infertility
• Sexual dysfunction and painful intercourse
• Complications during childbirth (Leading to increased maternal and infant mortality)
💔 Psychological and Emotional Consequences
• Post - Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Depression and anxiety
• Loss of trust in caregivers (especially when family members were involved)
• Lifelong shame or fear surrounding sexuality and womanhood.
The Silent Revolution: Survivors, Advocates & Communities Rising Against FGM
1) Survivors Turning Pain to Power
Survivors are no longer silent victims- they are now leaders, using their voices to spark Change.
• Speaking Out Publicly: Women like Jaha Dukureh (The Gambia) a survivor and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, openly share their stories to break the Shame and secrecy around FGM.
• Creating Safe Spaces: Survivors lead peer groups, healing circles, and advocacy workshops to support others emotionally and legally.
• Digital Storytelling: Through Social media, blogs, and podcasts, survivors are owning their narratives and educating the world.
" I turned my scar into a signature of strength" - Amina, Survivor - activist, Nigeria
🗣️ Grassroots Advocacy & Education
Change is happening Village by Village, Classroom by Classroom.
• Community Dialogue: Advocates host forums with elders, religious leaders, and parents to discuss the harm of FGM and alternative rites.
• School - Based Programs : Educating young girls and boys about bodily autonomy and human rights is transforming how the next generation views FGM.
• Training Former Cutter: In some areas, the very women who once performed FGM are now leading the fight against it after being educated and economically empowered.
• Cultural Shifts from Within
The revolution is not just about fighting tradition - it's about transforming it.
• Alternative Rites of Passage: In Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda, communities have embraced non - cutting ceremonies to honor girls without harming them.
• Faith - Based Advocacy: Religious leaders now denounce FGM as non- Islamic and un- Christian, debunking myths that it is required by faith.
• Men Becoming Allies: Father's, Brothers and husband's are Publicly supporting girls rights, realizing that ending FGM protects their families.
• Global Solidarity, Local Action
Though it's a local issue, the movement against FGM has gained global momentum.
• International NGOs like UNICEF, UNFPA, Equality Now, and The Girl Generation support and fund community - driven efforts.
• Global days like International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM (February 6) amplify Grassroots voices on a worldwide scale.
The Revolution is This:
Survivors are rising, communities are healing, traditions are evolving, and girls are reclaiming their futures.
This is not just a fight to end a practice. It is a revolution to rewrite what it means to be a girl, a woman, a community.
There was a time when silence was the only language spoken by girls who had been cut. A time when blood was part of womanhood and pain was a rite of passage. But those days are fading - not because laws changed, but because girls spoke out, because communities decided that enough was enough.
In every corner of the world where Female Genital Mutilation once thrived in shadows, the light is breaking through, not easily, not quickly, but steadily.
If you are a survivor, know that your story matters, your healing is sacred, you are not alone.
If you are a mother, you have the power to break the chain.
If you are a leader, use your platform to protect, not persevere pain.
If you are anyone reading this: you have a role in ending FGM.
Let this not be the end of this Manuscript, let it be the beginning of a movement. Let us be the generation that ends this - for good.
"Tradition did not raise me. Courage did"
- From a survivor's wall
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