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Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation - Culture - Nairaland

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Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by lalasticlala(m): 6:32pm On Jun 01, 2015
(The Root) – Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan signed a measure this week that criminalizes female genital mutilation, in one of his last official acts before yielding the country’s top office to Muhammadu Buhari, the International Business Times reports.

This 2013 version of the bill sets out a maximum punishment of four years in prison and a 200,000 naira ($1,000) fine for carrying out FGM, BuzzFeed reports.

Some 19.9 million Nigerian women living today are thought to have undergone the practice, and human rights advocates hope the decision will spur about 26 other African countries to outlaw the procedure, the report says.

Nigeria’s groundbreaking legislation sends “a powerful signal not only within Nigeria but across Africa,” according to J. Peter Pham, the director of the Africa Center at the Atlantic Council. Pham said the measure effectively criminalizes a significant percentage of female mutilations on the African continent. “One cannot overestimate the impact of any decision by Nigeria [on the continent],” he told the online news outlet.

More than 125 million girls and women alive today around the world are believed to have undergone some form of genital mutilation, with the majority concentrated in 29 countries, all but two in Africa, according to a 2013 study by the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef).

Jonathan suffered a stunning defeat by Buhari in March, becoming the first Nigerian president to be unseated at the ballot box. Buhari was inaugurated Friday.

“It took a lame duck president and lame duck legislators who don’t have to face voters to undertake something that goes that much against the cultural norms or practices,” Pham told the International Business Times about the timing of the law.

Pham argued that Jonathan had even done a favor for Buhari, who will not have to face a future voter backlash on the controversial issue. “It’s already signed and Buhari can say he’s simply enforcing the laws,” Pham said.


As momentous as this step is, activists have warned that it will not change the high prevalence rates of the procedure in Nigeria -- or the rest of the continent -- overnight. As much as the legislation sends a clear message about impunity and provides activists with the legal framework to hold the government to account, criminalization of the entrenched practice still has its limitations, according to Stella Mukasa, the director of gender, violence and rights at the International Center for Research on Women.

“While legal safeguards are an important step towards ending FGM, they are not enough to eliminate it,” she wrote in a commentary for the Guardian. “Ending violence against women and girls requires investment, not just laws written in statute books. This is why we must emphasize community engagement, with a view towards shifting social norms, as a critical component of the eradication of FGM.”

The challenge of shifting social norms has been underscored in the case of other African countries like Egypt, where the prevalence of FGM was recently revealed to be at roughly 92 percent among married women despite the practice being outlawed in 2008. More than half of women surveyed by the government said they continued to be in favor of FGM because they viewed it as being in accordance with their cultural and religious traditions.



http://www.ibtimes.com/nigeria-bans-female-genital-mutilation-african-powerhouse-sends-powerful-signal-about-1938913

9 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by SeverusSnape(m): 6:36pm On Jun 01, 2015
They should take note.

1 Like

Re: Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by shamsuRana(m): 6:36pm On Jun 01, 2015
It was never officially legitimate.
Re: Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by handie(m): 6:39pm On Jun 01, 2015
Way to go! Just banning it won't make it stop. What is needed is a total education of the populace and a reorientation of the peoples beliefs as many folks hide under d guise of customs and tradition to commit this hideous crime to d female girl child

28 Likes 6 Shares

Re: Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by eleojo23: 6:42pm On Jun 01, 2015
It's good that this law has been passed and I hope they follow through with its enforcement.
Women should not be subjected to this barbaric act.
Being a woman is tough on its own. No need to add to their troubles.

17 Likes 3 Shares

Re: Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by Gepheral: 6:50pm On Jun 01, 2015
Great move

3 Likes

Re: Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by sotall(m): 6:51pm On Jun 01, 2015
Good move

4 Likes 1 Share

Re: Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by IamLEGEND1: 6:51pm On Jun 01, 2015
don't care







He is still clueless to me

1 Like

Re: Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by Nobody: 6:51pm On Jun 01, 2015
Great.

A welcomed development!

Re: Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by AjiiJr(m): 6:52pm On Jun 01, 2015
Nice measure taken!!!

3 Likes

Re: Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by Skywalker5(m): 6:52pm On Jun 01, 2015
change is coming grin grin grin grin grin

1 Like

Re: Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by AAinEqGuinea: 6:53pm On Jun 01, 2015
ban circumcision
Re: Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by Sveen: 6:53pm On Jun 01, 2015
.Nice one.
Re: Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by kristen12(f): 6:53pm On Jun 01, 2015
About time
Re: Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by Nobody: 6:53pm On Jun 01, 2015
Great...they meant last week.

African novels have to be re-written grin
Re: Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by Johnnoah1st: 6:53pm On Jun 01, 2015
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF GENITAL MUTILATION

5 Likes

Re: Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by youngwarlocks: 6:54pm On Jun 01, 2015
ok
Re: Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by Nobody: 6:54pm On Jun 01, 2015
good.

meanwhile,

one day an atheist went to a court and reported a
case that easter,christmas,passover and new year
holidays should be
cancelled because they are all holidays for the
christians and for the jews, his annoyance was
that there was no holiday
for the atheists.on hearing his selfish plea the
judge said mr man i think you have nothing to
say,kindly go back home
and have a nice rest.then his lawyer angrily
opposed the judge saying but this man is right he
has no holiday and for
justice to be served all other holidays must be
cancelled.the judge laughed and said "havent you
heard that on the
first of april is april fools day? and psalms 14:1
says he who says in his heart there is no God is a
fool . so what
other explanation do you need . april fools day is
your day because you are a fool . . . . ha ha ha

17 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by juwonsmyle(m): 6:55pm On Jun 01, 2015
Good one!

1 Like

Re: Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by Nobody: 6:55pm On Jun 01, 2015
I have been scamed after I travel, trek leagues, miles and kilometers on elections day just to vote for Buhari. Chai hmnnnnnn chai.... I haf die ooooooooooooo! Buhari's wife dey use wristwatch worth more than #10million

2 Likes

Re: Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by osagiemma: 6:55pm On Jun 01, 2015
g
Re: Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by pretydiva(f): 6:55pm On Jun 01, 2015
Great news. It's been long overdue
Re: Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by Nobody: 6:55pm On Jun 01, 2015
handie:
Way to go! Just banning it won't make it stop. What is needed is a total education of the populace and a reorientation of the peoples beliefs as many folks hide under d guise of customs and tradition to commit this hideous crime to d female girl child


I almost died when my biology teacher was teaching me in secondary school
Re: Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by kingiykon(m): 6:56pm On Jun 01, 2015
Okay
Re: Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by pTomz(m): 6:56pm On Jun 01, 2015
shocked mehn ah luv dis CHANGEgrin
Re: Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by baybeeboi: 6:56pm On Jun 01, 2015
please, what is female genital mutilation?


I have never heard of that.
Re: Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by MizFrances(f): 6:56pm On Jun 01, 2015
Re: Nigeria Bans Female Genital Mutilation by timilehin007(m): 6:57pm On Jun 01, 2015
shoro niyen

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