COUNTRY PROFILE: FGM IN NIGERIA October 2016 Registered Charity: No. 1150379 Limited Company: No: 08122211 E-mail:
[email protected] © 28 Too Many 2016 v2 November 2017 ` CONTENTS FOREWORD 3 BACKGROUND 4 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 5 A NOTE ON DATA 6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7 IMPACT CASE STUDY: SOCIETY FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF RURAL PEOPLE 10 INTRODUCTION 11 GENERAL NATIONAL STATISTICS 13 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS 14 POLITICAL BACKGROUND 15 1 ANTHROPOLOGICAL BACKGROUND 17 OVERVIEW OF FGM IN NIGERIA 21 SOCIOLOGICAL BACKGROUND 26 HEALTHCARE SYSTEM 29 EDUCATION 36 RELIGION 41 MEDIA 43 ATTITUDES AND KNOWLEDGE RELATING TO FGM 47 LAWS RELATING TO FGM 50 STRATEGIES TO END FGM AND ORGANISATIONAL PROFILES 53 CHALLENGES FACED BY ANTI-FGM INITIATIVES 61 CONCLUSIONS 63 APPENDIX I – LIST OF INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL ORGANISATIONS CONTRIBUTING TO WOMEN’S AND CHILDREN’S RIGHTS IN NIGERIA 67 APPENDIX II – PROFILE OF GENDER & GBV-RELATED LAWS/BILLS ACROSS STATES 68 APPENDIX III – REFERENCES 71 2 | P a g e As we publish our 11th Country Profile on FGM, FOREWORD there are, however, many reasons to be hopeful for the future in Nigeria. The new Violence Against Since 2010, when I had the privilege of Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP), which was volunteering with FORWARD in northern Nigeria, I introduced in 2015, bans practices such as FGM have keenly watched both the setbacks and and is therefore a significant step in the right opportunities that women and girls face daily direction. We welcome its introduction. It is now throughout the country. Many of the challenges I essential that this federal law be adopted and saw during my time working in a fistula enforced across all states in Nigeria, to achieve its rehabilitation clinic still remain, including limited full impact.