Genital Mutilation Still High In South East – UNICEF

The Chief of Field Office, United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF Field Office Enugu, Mrs. Juliet Chiluwe has said that the prevalence rate of Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting, FGM/C across the South East states is still high and unacceptable.

Mrs. Chiluwe said that while Imo State ranks 1st at 38% prevalence among women aged 15-49 years and 9.7% prevalence among girls age 0-14 years, prevalence among women aged 15-49 years in Ebonyi, Abia, Enugu and Anambra states stands at 20.4%, 20.3%, 19% and 13.1% respectively.

She noted that girls aged 0-14 years, in Ebonyi, Abia, Enugu and Anambra stands at 3.7%, 3.0%, 2.1% and 0.2% respectively.

Mrs. Chiluwe made the disclosure during a zonal media dialogue with journalists, media executives and civil society organizations, CSOs in Imo, Abia, Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi states on 2025 International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, FGM.

The Zonal Media Dialogue with the Theme, “Stepping Up the Pace, Strengthening Alliances and Building Movements to End FGM was organized by the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF Enugu Field Office in Collaboration with Broadcasting Corporation Of Abia State, BCA Umuahia held at Fidelma Hotel Enugu.

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“While we appreciate the drop in prevalence especially among women age (15-49) when compared to previous years MICS and NDHS data, this is the most critical time to step up the pace, especially through strengthening alliances among grassroots activities, communities, government, organization and private sector to build a powerful social movement that ends harmful norms and build movements.”

She called on the government, donors and the private sector to step up financial investment to scale up effective intervention, adding that girls, women survivors, and youths should also expand social movements through strategic coalitions that amplify action to eliminate female genital mutilation.

Mrs Chiluwe said that ending FGM requires the collective efforts of girls, women, survivors, and men, amongst others, as key allies.

In his presentation, a public health consultant, Dr. Chikezie Obasi said that the prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting FGM/C among girls between the ages of 0-14 years increased from 16.9% to 19.2% between 2013 and 2018 across the country.

He maintained that the prevalence rate among women between the ages of 15-49 years dropped from 25% to 20% between 2013 and 2018 and attributed the drop to the awareness of those within the age bracket.

On the non-prosecution of Female Genital Mutilation FGM offenders in the different States of the Southeast, the public health consultant stated that most states that domesticated the Violence Against Persons law are yet to take practical steps to ensure the arrest and prosecution of offenders.