FGM Brings Consequences Too Shameful to Share

During our visit to Aarada market, popular for its fresh farm produce in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria, an elderly woman claimed that some ladies were circumcised and had no problems afterwards. What many like her do not understand is that most women keep their problems to themselves and refuse to say it out to avoid being condemned. If any at all, only a lucky few don’t have any problem after circumcision.

Most often than not, Female Genital Mutilation only results in untold suffering to the survivor. In the same market, another woman would corroborate our claim by adding that female circumcision doesn’t stop promiscuity.

We were also able to dissuade Moromoke Abideen, who sells yam flour at the popular Bodija market in Ibadan, from cutting her female children. Initially, her belief is that Female Genital Mutilation should be done to girls between ages 4 and 8 to stop promiscuity. Perhaps, this stemmed from her own mutilation at an early age.

The two markets yielded over 500 people with whom we discuss the need to stamp out FGM.