According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), female genital mutilation is on the rise in Nigeria, particularly among girls under the age of 15.
UNICEF’s Representative in Nigeria, Peter Hawkins, said in a statement on Sunday that the rates have risen from 16.9% in 2013 to 19.2 percent in 2018.
“Female genital mutilation remains widespread in Nigeria, Nigeria has the third-highest number of survivors worldwide, with an estimated 19.9 million women and girls who have been affected”. He speaks.
According to NDHS data, the national prevalence of female genital mutilation among women aged 15-49 in Nigeria decreased from 25% in 2013 to 20% in 2018. However, the prevalence among girls aged 0-14 increased.
“An estimated 86 percent of females had their hair cut before the age of five, with another 8% having their hair cut between the ages of five and fourteen.”
“Female genital mutilation is physically and psychologically detrimental to girls and women. It’s a tradition that has no place in today’s culture and must be abolished, as many Nigerian communities have already pledged,” Hawkins continued.
