Female Genital Mutilation still afflicting northern Ghana - NGOs lament

Stakeholders advocating gender equality, equity and a stop to gender-based violence have called on government, civil society organisations and development partners to invest in the complete eradication of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

While making the call on Monday at the commemoration of the “International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM” in Accra, Madam Cindy Ofori-Appiah, a Reproductive and Child Health Advocate, Ghana Health Service, noted that 28 countries in Africa and other parts of Middle East and Asia still practised FGM calling for greater commitment from stakeholders.

She said the practice was prevalent in Somalia, Mali, and Sierra Leone and common among the Kusasis, Frafras, Kassenas, Nankanas, Busangas, Wallas, Dagaabas, Builsas, and Sisalas, especially in the Upper West and Upper East Regions of Ghana.

According to the 2021 National Housing and Population Census, the overall FGM prevalent in Ghana is 11.7 per cent and done before a child attains 15 years.

Madam Ofori-Appiah said the Upper West Region was the most prevalent with 50.5 per cent, while the Central and Eastern Regions had the least with 0.9 per cent.

FGM, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), refers to all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female organs for cultural or other non-medical reasons.

The stakeholders include the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, Council of Zongo Chiefs, and the Ghana Health Service (GHS).

The commemoration was on the theme: “Accelerating Investment to End Female Genital Mutilation”.

Madam Ofori-Appiah said cutting off the labia majora (outer lips) and labia minora (inner lips) of the vulva through the process of FGM in girls and women, meant taking all bodyguards off to easily subject victims to infections, which could affect the fallopian tubes and subsequently lead to infertility.

She mentioned severe pain, bleeding, shock, genital tissue swelling, HIV infection after using same knife for mutilation, impaired wound healing, which made delivery difficult among victims, and psychological consequences as some of the short term health risks among victims.

The long term risks include infractions such as chronic general reproductive tract, and urinary tract infections, difficulty/painful urination, menstrual blood loss and increased perinatal mortality.

Mrs Eunice Maasodong, President of the Association of Ghanaian Women and Children’s Welfare, who demonstrated how varied forms of FGM were conducted with a dummy, said some cut the labia majora, others the labia minora, while some cut the two and sewed a longer part of the opening, leaving a tiny hole for urination and menstruation.

“In some countries, when the woman is about to get married after the FGM, they will then measure the man’s penis to cut a bit more of the opening to allow penetration.

“When we visited the North, we saw that after some women had been mutilated, they were being forced to dance and show excitement with blood all over them, because to them, they were now clean and real women,” she said.

Mrs Maasodong said the labia majora and minora played key roles in many ways and opened to allow free movement of babies during delivery, therefore, when cut, victims who underwent delivery struggled to let babies out and sometimes bled to death.

“Yet, they blame the woman and force her to confess of having slept with another man aside the husband to enable her to easily give birth,” she said.

In partnership with the Ministry of Gender and the Ghana Police Service, she said about seven circumcisers regarding FGM were arrested few years ago and jailed while on an assessment mission at victimised communities.

However, execution of the project had been slow due to lack or inadequate funding and investment; she said and called for support to totally eradicate the canker in the country.