Somalia records rise in FGM amidst coronavirus lockdown

Somalia has been witnessing upsurge in Female Genital Mutilation recently due to the coronavirus lockdown as the situation has let loose circumcisers going from house to house and requesting girls who are stuck at home to be circumcised.

The lockdown is greatly undermining efforts to eradicate the practice in Somalia which has the world’s highest rate of FGM practice.

According to Plan International’s head of mission in Somalia, Sadia Allin, in recent weeks there has been spike in the FGM practices in the country.

“We’ve seen a massive increase in recent weeks,” Allin said.

“We want the government to ensure FGM is included in all Covid responses,” she added.

She also said that nurse had reported increase in number of parents coming to the hospital over the weeks requesting that their daughters be circumcised.

Allin said that Parents see the lockdown as an opportunity to get their girls circumcised as they are stuck at home so that they would have time to recover from the ritual which usually takes weeks.

It has been reported that FGM affects not less than 200 million girls and woman around the world. The practice involves total or partial removal of girls’ external genitalia.

As commonplace in Somalia, the vaginal opening is most times sewn up, a practice known as infibulations, a type III Female Genital Mutilation, according to World Health Organization.

The United Nations Population Fund has warned that the coronavirus pandemic could lead to 2 million girls from around the world being cut as efforts to end the practice is undermined by the pandemic.

The UNFPA has also estimated that about 290,000 girls would be made to undergo FGM in Somalia in 2020.

It said the surge in the rate of FGM was due to Ramadan as it is the traditional time to carry out FGM on girls.

Similarly, given the economic crisis caused by the virus, cutters have been pushed to seek means of sustenance who as a result tour homes seeking girls to circumcise.

“The cutters have been knocking on doors, including mine, asking if there are young girls they can cut. I was so shocked,” said Allin.

Allin expressed shock over the surge in the practice and said at this time of lockdown it is hard for them to reach communities and sensitize them on the danger of FGM.

Allin who has two daughters aged five and nine, and who has been cut herself talked about the inherent danger of FGM on girls.

“FGM is one of the most extreme manifestations of violence against girls and women.”

“It’s a lifetime torture for girls. The pain continues until the girl goes to the grave. It impacts her education, ambition, everything,” she added.