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Nigeria passes bill against Female Genital mutilation

Doctors and Women Advocates have been warned to educate parents to protect their children from undergoing such brutal and illegal act.

Goodluck Jonathan

Former President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, has signed a bill which officially abolishes the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Nigeria. The law forms part of The Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015.

FGM has been defined by the United Nations as, “all procedures involving partial or total remove of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.

Over 19.9 million Nigerian women especially girls from infancy to age 15 years reportedly undergoes the brutal procedures.

It has been revealed the procedure is carried out by people with no medical training and they also used unsterilized equipment. The women who undergoes such procedures lack pleasure during sex.

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140 million women and girls are estimated to have undergone FGM, worldwide, with the majority of these being in the Middle East and Africa.

Tarah Demant, Amnesty International added, ‘we welcome this ban as we welcome any ban on FGM in any country, but it’s unclear whether other countries will do the same”.

The procedure has been illegal in the UK since 1985, and abroad on British women since 2003.

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