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International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics 84 (2004) 183184

0020-7292/04/$30.00 2003 International Society of Gynaecology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.doi:10.1016/j.ijgo.2003.08.014

Brief CommunicationySocial issues in reproductive health

Female genital mutilation in south-east Nigeria

S.N. Obi*

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Federal Medical Centre, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Received 21 April 2003; received in revised form 25 August 2003; accepted 27 August 2003

Keywords: Female genital mutilation; Female circumcision; South-east Nigeria

Table 1Age distribution of the women

Age range, Women Women circumcisedexaminedyearsNo.

No. (%)

1620 55 3 (5.5)

2125 250 64 (25.6)2630 227 65 (28.6)3135 120 48 (40.0)3640 90 50 (55.6)4145 58 50 (86.2)Total 800 280

Fig. 1. Relationship between circumcision status and socialclass of parents. Socio-economic class is based on Tuckettsclassificationw4x.

Female genital mutilation (FGM), sometimesreferred to as female circumcision, is a deeplyrooted traditional practice in most African coun-tries. It is widely practiced among the ethnicgroups of Nigeria, including the Ibos of the south-east where it is performed during infancy w1x.

Between September and December 2002, 800consecutive pregnant women who were delivered

in four health care institutions in south-easternNigeria (Federal Medical Center Abakaliki, MaterMisericordiae Afikpo, Regina Caeli HospitalAwka, and Eastern Nigeria Medical center Enugu)were examined to determine their circumcision

*Tel.:q234-42-257331.E-mail address: nobis@rbow.net (S.N. Obi).

status. A total of 280 women (35%) were foundto have undergone some genital mutilation, andtype 2 FGM was the most common (62.9%). Thecircumcised women were then interviewed toobtain their views on the practice.

The prevalence of FGM decreased with thewomens age (Table 1), which suggests a declinein the practice. Women whose parents belonged to

a lower social group (classes IV and V) weremore likely to be circumcised (Fig. 1). In these

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184 S.N. Obi / International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics 84 (2004) 183184

Fig. 2. Relationship between educational status of mother and willingness to circumcise their female babies.

groups, people are not economically empoweredand do not make decisions on matters affectingthem; rather, they abide by the decisions of theircommunity leaders. This is why most of theuneducated women in the study approved thecontinuation of the practice (Fig. 2) and oftenimposed these harmful cultural practices on theirdaughters. However, the women who were againstthe practice tended to be better educated, whichsuggests that the latter group is initiating a changeof attitude within the society. However, culturalfactors highlighted in previous studiesw2xstill playa vital role in this decision, as 2.6% of the educatedmothers found that they could not voice theiropposition to the practice. Most of the women(71.1%)also agreed that there is no benefit to thiscultural practice.

The Nigerian government, in pursuance of thepolicies of the 1979 United Nations convention onthe Elimination of All forms of Discriminationagainst Women w3x has enacted laws and mountedcampaigns against FGM. Although a majority of

the interviewed women (58.9%) were aware ofthe campaign, they were helpless in its implemen-tation because they were not economically empow-ered. Enacting laws against FGM, although a stepin the right direction, may not yield the desiredresult in the immediate future in view of ourcurrent stage of development. The empowermentof women within their own communities will be amore effective strategy, as they will champion theircause where FGM occurs.

References

w1x Adinma JI. Current status of female circumcision amongNigerian Igbos. West Afr J Med 1997;16:227231.

w2x Dorkenoo E. Combatting female genital mutilation: anagenda for the next decade. World Health Stat Q1996;49:142147.

w3x Convention on the elimination of all form of discrimi-nation against women. United Nations General Assem-bly Resolution 34y180. New York, NY: United Nations,1979.

w4x Work, life chances and life styles. In: Tuckett D, editor.Introduction to medical sociology. London: Tavistock,1976. p. 365370.