End Female Genital Mutilation and Keep Girls in School

The overall aim of this project is to reduce the female genital mutilation (FGM) prevalence rate in Akwuke community of Enugu State from the current rate which is roughly 85% to 45% by the end of this project which will have a direct effect of keeping girls in school. Akwuke is a rural community in Enugu State, Nigeria. Akwuke is sparsely populated because many of the young people are leaving to try to find work in the urban areas. Akwuke currently has an estimated population of 8,700. Akwuke like most rural communities in Nigeria lacks the basic amenities of good roads, a stable power supply and a portable water supply. Modern technology is lacking and the rate of change slow. A major problem facing Akwuke community is FGM. In Akwuke, most girls and women are mutilated before the age of 5, often during their naming ceremony which serves as a traditional rite of passage. In this regard FGM is seen as part of the naming ceremony and this ceremony is conducted between the 7th and the 12th day after the birth of the girl child. Under the patriarchal system in Akwuke community, women and girls are seen as inferior to the men and have little or no opportunity for advancement. This inferiority is exemplified in so many ways beginning in early childhood. Women and girls are considered less important with few rights particularly in the areas of education and land inheritance. By creating dialogue with traditional and religious leaders from Akwuke, who are commonly referred to as community gatekeepers and who wield a great deal of influence in the community, this project will aim to address the problem at its root with a change in mindset. This will be an inclusive approach with conversations addressed at family heads, elders, opinion leaders, teachers, and young people who will be part of the social change intervention needed to ensure a change of attitude toward ending FGM by the entire community.