GAWW advocates total eradication of FGM in Ghana

The president of the Ghana Association for Women's Welfare (GAWW) has urged the government to do everything possible within its power to ensure complete eradication of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the country.

Mrs. Florence Ali, the GAWW president, said this Monday when the association collaborated with the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs (MoWAC), to observe the "Zero tolerance for FGM Day".

It had on the theme, "From Malabo to New York: Supporting United Nations Assembly Resolution Banning FGM worldwide."

She said since the law on FGM was passed in 2007, no one had 'been prosecuted for engaging in the act although many arrests had been made.

Mrs. Ali said the day was adopted by 49 countries including Ghana and declared by the United Nations (UN) to focus the world's attention on dangerous practices against women.

She said FGM is common among the three Northern Regions and in other regions where people from those regions resided.

She said, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), an estimated 130 to 140 million girls and women in the world had undergone FGM and approximately three million girls and women were at risk.

She described FGM as barbaric and a violation many human rights including the right to life, to physical integrity, attainable standard of health and freedom from physical or mental violence.

Mrs. Ali expressed concern and dissatisfaction about how some communities still engaged in the act and asked: "Why should a woman's body be remodeled to satisfy the whims of a man and why should we subject our daughters' and granddaughters to this unnecessary suffering all in the name of tradition?"She added.

She said scars damaged done to the female sexual organs and function during such act might result in severe bleeding, tetanus, pelvic inflammatory disease, leading to infertility, risk of catching blood transmitted diseases like HIV and difficulty in penetration during sexual intercourse.

She said scars that formed after mutilation could not stretch, thus, making child birth difficult and causing severe tearing of the vagina, leading to permanent damage of either the urethra or anus in which the woman might not be able to control the passage of faeces and urine.

She urged on the media and other stakeholders to take concrete measures to deal with such a gruesome practice that women went through, adding that the media had a wider segment of population for educating the public.

The head of the Social Welfare Services at the Police Hospital, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Elvis Sadongo, said though the police had copies of the law against FGM, some of the personnel did not understand it properly and called for intensive training on FGM for 'police personnel.