Jonathan’s last good deed in office, signs a bill banning female genital mutilation

by Ranti Joseph

female mutilation

Former President of Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan is a good man after all who has the interest of the nation at heart as he did one last good deed before finally bowing out of office as he signed off on a bill that outlaws female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female genital cutting or female circumcision.

Buzzfeed reports that Nigerian women’s rights and public health groups have long campaigned against FGM, which removes parts or all of a girl’s genitalia, often at a very young age and without the girl’s consultation or consent, saying that it violates human rights, a procedure which has also led to severe health problems.

A quarter of Nigerian women aged 15-49 have undergone FGM, according to 2014 UNICEF data.

The reasons for FGM the ritual is usually seen as marking a girl as ready for marriage, to control a girl’s or woman’s sexual appetite, according to a separate UNICEF report.

The Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act was passed by Nigeria’s Senate in early May and signed off by Jonathan on Monday.

 Women’s health advocates in Nigeria confirmed the development, “It’s not just a victory for us, for our organization, but for everyone,” Nihinlola Mabogunje, the Nigeria director for Ipas, an international NGO that campaigns for women’s reproductive health and access to safe abortions said.

Lazarus Ude Eze, a public health advocate based in Abuja who campaigned for the bill to be passed, also confirmed the development said he hadn’t yet seen the final version of the bill signed by Jonathan, which could contain minor changes in matters such as punishments.

This 2013 version of the bill sets out a maximum punishment of four years in jail and a N200, 000 naira fine for carrying out FGM.

The new law seeks to protect women on a range of fronts. It also sets out punishments for offenses such as throwing a spouse out of their home and traditional rituals that discriminate against widows.

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