Female Circumcision in Akwa Ibom State: A Cultural Heritage
Imagine yourself as a lady or your daughter being circumcised today. I know you're saying God forbid. Are you surprised about the topic, it looks awkward right. Does it exist. Whether it's morally right or wrong, Africans in the past have their own cultural heritage that has survived for centuries before colonialism. It's out culture and we value and respect it. Let's talk about the good, the bad and the ugly of the topic.
A Brief Overview of Akwa Ibom State
Akwa Ibom State is located in the Southern part of Nigeria. The people are known as Ibibio people, but in recent times other sub-groups like the Annang, Eket, Oron and even Eastern Obolo are also recognised as different from the Ibibio people. This is because of slight variations in the dialects. Akwa Ibom State is made up of 31 local government areas. It's an oil producing state and have multinational corporations like Exxonmobil and Mobile.
Female Circumcision in Akwa Ibom State
Female circumcision is an age long practice in the Akwa Ibom Area. The main reason for the practice is that it make a girl fit into the Ibibio society. It's believed that any lady that has not been circumcised was regarded as an outcast in the Ibibio society. It was compulsory for all virgins to be circumcised. During fattening for young virgins that we're ready for marriage, were kept in a room and are thought the rudiments of being a woman. While those that were not circumcised were redicled. They also believed the circumcision procedure was justified as a pubertal right and that a child was at risk of dying in childbirth if the head touched the mother's clitoris.source
Why Female Circumcision
The Ibibio people believed that not being circumcised can lead a young lady to sexual promiscuity. Also, it's believed that during childbirth young we usually die. To avoid child mortality and the incessant death of the mother, female circumcision is needed.
Is Female Circumcision Right or Wrong
Every society in the past had built several customs and traditions that have existed for several years and have helped the society to develop. The issue of whether it was right or wrong doesn't matter. I know that you might disagree with that but that's what they believe.
Finally, we can't judge the past generations for their customs and traditions. The way forward is that with the inception of globalization and the internet, people are free to chose what they want.
It’s a really hard thing to accept, but rather than condemning the cultures who have practices this kind of thing, I hope through sharing more about science and physical and physiological effects, they will reconsider this kind of process simply because the child is too young to agree to such a thing and it will influence their whole life.
Most parents have consciously rejected this practice due to being responsible to themselves. But in the past it was by force because it's part of the cultural heritage of the people. Although the keepers of the cultural heritage will constantly encouraged people in their villages to continue and remind them about the spiritual implications according to them.
Just because something is 'culture' or 'tradition' does not make it right!
It might not be right but the developers were not as "civilized" as we're today. So we can't judge them with our knowledge today. The only thing we can do is to discourage this generation from partaking in the practice. Thanks for stopping by.
It's indeed so, whether we like certain practices or not, whether we consider them crimes or not, is only our personal perspective about a process that we don't really understand. I would never condone ablation or any kind of compulsory intervention of a person's body for whatever reason, but every society has its rules, if we don't want to abide by those rules then we shouldn't engage with that society.
Thanks for this post, especially your neutrality about the topic. Have you had contact with women who have experienced ablation?
Thanks for the comment it's encouraging. Yes I've had contact with one. Her view was that it was done even she's tender and this was without her consent.
Yes, I don't think any person would willingly choose genital mutilation, even the ritual circumcision of boys in traditions such as Judaism is a breach of personal consent.
You're right, it's high time we stop female genital mutilation. It begins with me. Am taking responsibility today to become an advocate to stop the practice. Thanks once again