TWEET CONFERENCE SCRIPT: The extended Family as the safety net for protecting Girls and Women from FGM – 19.07.2018

From Nigeria, we welcome you all to today’s Twitter Conference of the UNICEF-UNFPA Joint Programme on FGM Elimination Campaign: Accelerating Change #endcuttinggirls

Today, I and my colleague @ThevisionBuilder and @robinson4eva will be taking you through the topic  – “extended family as the safety net for protecting girls and women from FGM”

We will tweet on the topic for 90 minutes while we will take questions and comments for the rest 30 minutes.

Join us as we share this exciting and expository time on #endcuttinggirls

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a collective term for procedures which include the removal of part or all of the external female genitalia for cultural or other non-therapeutic reasons.

FGM is medically unnecessary, extremely painful and has serious health consequences, both at the time when the mutilation is carried out and in later life.

FGM is typically performed on girls aged between 4 and 15, but in some cases it is performed on new-born infants or on young women before marriage or pregnancy..

WHO classified FGM into four types

Type 1: partial or total removal of the clitoris and/or the prepuce (clitoridectomy).

Type 2: partial or total removal of & clitoris and & labia minora, with or without excision of & labia majora (excision).

Type 3: narrowing of & vaginal orifice with creation of a covering seal by cutting and appositioning of labia minora and/or & labia majora, with or without excision of & clitoris (infibulation).

Type 4: unclassified – all other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes, for example, pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterization.

FGM violates & human rights of girls/women, and has immediate and long-term negative effects on their health & general wellbeing.

FGM is deeply rooted in tradition and persists as a social norm that is upheld by underlying gender structures and power relations.

For more information concerning FGM, kindly visit our website or YouTube Channel ( http:// www.endcuttinggirls or https://www.youtube.com/endcuttinggirlsNigeria )

At this point, I will give room for my Co-anchor @Robionson4eva to take the second part of the presentation. .

An extended family is a family which extends beyond the nuclear family to include grandparents and other relatives…In some circumstances, the extended family comes to live either with or in place of a member of the immediate family.

Sometimes children are made to visit their grandparents and spend some time with them if they are alive.

These families include, in one household, near relatives in addition to an immediate family. An example would be an elderly parent who moves in with his or her children due to old age.

In modern Western cultures dominated by immediate family constructs, the term has come to be used generically to refer to grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins, whether they live together within the same household or not.

Depending on the size of the family and the roles each member plays, that leader may be the oldest, most senior family member, or the most prominent breadwinner who contributes a significant portion of the family’s finances.

Today we are going to look at how the Extended family serves as a safety net in protecting girls from FGM

In an extended family, grandparents and other family members such as aunts and uncles play a significant role in both its economic and social function.

In most cases, grandparents especially grandmothers are the ones that always pressurize children to bring their granddaughters for genital cutting known as female genital mutilation.

In African society and even on religious grounds, children find it very difficult to disobey their parents. They see as a sin to disobey their parents.

But this changes as they grow and become more knowledgeable about things, sometimes they can disagree when they don’t believe or have superior knowledge about issue.

Grand mothers are known to be ‘stubborn’ and radical in enforcing things they believe in to their children. Once they believe in a course, they will pressurize their children to do that which they believe is right.

Some of the things they believe are passed to them by their own parents and sometimes at several sociocultural and religious groups.

I will now hand over to my colleague @ThevisionVuilder to complete the rest of the tweet.

Often times, children born in the cities are happy when they are told that they will be spending their holidays at grandmas home in the village.

These innocent girls don’t even know that there are others side of spending holidays with grandmothers.

Villages that perform FGM at teenage sees those holiday periods as opportunity to have them cut.

Let’s look at the story of Zainab who was infibulated at age 8 shared this; “My two sisters, myself and our mother went to visit our family back home. I assumed we were going for a holiday. A bit later they told us that we were going to be infibulated (who).

The day before our operation was due to take place, another girl was infibulated and she died because of the operation. We were so scared and didn’t want to suffer the same fate.

But our parents told us it was an obligation, so we went. We fought back; we really thought we were going to die because of the pain.

If Zainab’s parents knew that FGM can put girls in danger, they wouldn’t have subjected them to that harmful practice.

There’s a case reported in the south-western Nigeria, were a woman took her kids down to the village to perform FGM ritual on them.

The girls were made to stay at their grandmother’s home for the purpose of cutting and healing before taking them back under the guise of spending their holiday with their grandmothers.

In this case, if the grandmother is aware that FGM is harmful, she will prevent the children from being cut because no grandmother likes to see their children suffer not to talk of granddaughters that they cherish.

Most times the grandfathers are not even aware of the plan to cut the girls or even aware of FGM. This is a more reason to engage the fathers and grandfathers in this discussion and sensitization because they are the heads of an extended family.

In the extended family, if one member of the family stands up to campaign against the practice of FGM, this diffuses to other members of the family and even outside the family.

Family meetings are held occasionally to discuss family interest and once the issue of FGM is raised as a trait in the family, the family looks for ways of preventing it. If the grandfather who happens to be the head is educated on the dangers of FGM, he can easily sensitize others

Other families will refer to that family that didn’t cut their girl-children when they want to talk about FGM in their own family.

They will say ‘that Okoye family, their girls were not cut and they are not promiscuous and are living happily with their families’

According to Demba Diawara, Senegalese village chief and imam, “A person’s family is not their village. The family includes one’s entire social network: their relatives in many surrounding villages, in all of the places they marry, even in far off countries like France and the United States … If you truly want to bring about widespread change … they must all be involved,”

Demba developed a strategy that worked for them in Senegal in abandonment FGM by 13 villages via a public declaration. The Strategy is simply put “To change his community, he must change his entire extended family network”

This means that to effect a social change like FGM in a community, you will have to start with their families and extended families. Because the families and its extended arms make up communities.

We now understand that educating key members of the extended families can’t be overemphasized. They should be trained and informed about the dangers which FGM.

In the south-Eastern part of Nigeria, most kindred if not political wards are formed from by an extended family #endcuttingirls

When the grandparents are trained and empowered to train others, they can join and start the campaign to #endfgm from their families

When a grandparent is trained, it’s like training an entire kindred like that it spreads to the whole community like a religious campaign.

In Nigeria, these extended families can easily be found in religious groups and other community groups like age-grades and peer clubs/meeting/forums

Major stake-holders in this campaign are implored to partner with some of these groups or reach out to them for the purpose of educating these grandparents.

When an extended family decides to abandon FGM, this will also be passed on to other generations of the family.

Parents should also know that it’s a crime to allow or not to protect a girl-child from being cut. In 2014,  David Cameron, former British Prime Minister said “Parents will be prosecuted if they fail to prevent their daughter being cut”

In Nigeria, Mrs. Aderonke Ige, says Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), is a family crime and in most cases of FGM, one parent usually connives with other members of the family to carry out this dastardly act on the girl-child or the teenage girl.

“Our tradition makes it impossible for the practice to be sanctioned or corrected because it would be very difficult to sue or charge one’s family member to court when this act is carried out on the girl or woman,” she further stated.

Education has power, when people are properly educated about things like FGM, they will be able to defend their girls from cutting like these women from across Africa…

Kadiga from Ethiopia said, “I will never subject my child to FGM/C if she happens to be a girl, and I will teach her the consequences of the practice earlier on.”

In conclusion, the extended family instead of promoting FGM, will become advocates to campaign against the practice.

I’ll like to stop here to give room for questions, comments and feedbacks. Thank you for the time! Join us every Thursday same time to #ENDCUTTINGGIRLS

You can access the transcript of this conference and for previous weeks on www.endcuttinggirls.org. Other exciting materials are there for your use. Join us on Facebook, twitter and Instagram for our other social media activities using @endcuttinggirls.

@The EndCuttingGirls Campaign has produced20 videos that are uploaded on our YouTube Channel ( www.youTube.com/endcuttinggirlsNigeria )which can be used as educational materials during community discussions.

Hits: 223

47 Comments

  1. Usa Generic Viagra Free Shipping Isotretinoin For Sale Legally [url=http://mailordervia.com]viagra[/url] Cialis 5mg Prix Pharmacie

    April 9, 2019 Reply
  2. Nathanjumma

    Nicely put. Cheers!
    what kind of writer are you essay website to write essays for you how do i spend my holidays essay

    April 9, 2023 Reply
  3. ScottCoode

    You actually expressed it superbly.
    tropica casino online [url=https://bestonlinecasinoreal.us/]us online casino[/url] online casino codes

    April 11, 2023 Reply
  4. HaaryVic

    Good info. Thank you.
    [url=https://essaytyperhelp.com/]help with an essay[/url] essay help [url=https://helptowriteanessay.com/]essay writer[/url] need help in writing an essay

    April 14, 2023 Reply
  5. HaaryVic

    Terrific facts. Cheers.
    [url=https://hireawriterforanessay.com/]write my college application essay[/url] write an essay for me cheap [url=https://theessayswriters.com/]writing argumentative essay[/url] help me write my scholarship essay

    April 15, 2023 Reply
  6. HaaryVic

    You stated that well.
    [url=https://writinganessaycollegeservice.com/]essay writing service dublin[/url] writing an essay [url=https://essayservicehelp.com/]best online essay writing services[/url] reliable essay writing service

    April 16, 2023 Reply
  7. HaaryVic

    Thanks a lot. Helpful stuff.
    [url=https://essaypromaster.com/]writing a paper[/url] write my papers for me [url=https://paperwritingservicecheap.com/]college paper writers[/url] write my paper for me

    April 17, 2023 Reply
  8. HaaryVic

    Excellent advice. Appreciate it.
    [url=https://writingpaperforme.com/]paper writers for hire[/url] term paper writer [url=https://custompaperwritersservices.com/]professional paper writers[/url] do my paper

    April 18, 2023 Reply
  9. HaaryVic

    Terrific info, Kudos!
    [url=https://customthesiswritingservice.com/]define thesis[/url] thesis paper [url=https://writingthesistops.com/]thesis[/url] thesis search

    April 19, 2023 Reply
  10. HaaryVic

    Thanks! Great stuff.
    [url=https://domyhomeworkformecheap.com/]coursework website[/url] do my accounting homework [url=https://domycollegehomeworkforme.com/]do my chemistry homework[/url] i can t do my homework

    April 20, 2023 Reply
  11. HaaryVic

    Nicely voiced really. !
    [url=https://ouressays.com/]research proposal writer[/url] parts of research proposal [url=https://researchpaperwriterservices.com/]research paper services[/url] thesis proposal

    April 21, 2023 Reply
  12. HaaryVic

    Truly a lot of amazing advice.
    [url=https://studentessaywriting.com/]writing an informative essay[/url] research paper writing services [url=https://essaywritingserviceahrefs.com/]student essay writing[/url] top ten essay writing services

    April 22, 2023 Reply
  13. HaaryVic

    With thanks! A lot of info.
    [url=https://essaytyperhelp.com/]essaytyper[/url] writing helper [url=https://helptowriteanessay.com/]paperhelp[/url] medical school personal statement

    April 23, 2023 Reply
  14. HaaryVic

    You’ve made your stand very nicely..
    [url=https://essayssolution.com/]help me write my essay[/url] help me write my essay [url=https://cheapessaywriteronlineservices.com/]help me write my essay[/url] what should i write my college essay about

    April 24, 2023 Reply
  15. HaaryVic

    You actually stated that perfectly!
    [url=https://hireawriterforanessay.com/]write paper for me[/url] writing essays for money [url=https://theessayswriters.com/]website that writes essays for you[/url] essay writers online

    April 27, 2023 Reply
  16. HaaryVic

    Lovely stuff, Thank you!
    [url=https://essaytyperhelp.com/]essay help[/url] essay writer [url=https://helptowriteanessay.com/]need help writing an essay[/url] essaytyper

    April 28, 2023 Reply
  17. HaaryVic

    You actually said it perfectly!
    [url=https://researchproposalforphd.com/]research proposals[/url] buy research paper [url=https://writingresearchtermpaperservice.com/]write my research paper for me[/url] thesis proposal

    April 29, 2023 Reply
  18. HaaryVic

    Info certainly utilized!!
    [url=https://dissertationwritingtops.com/]writing help[/url] dissertation abstracts international [url=https://helpwritingdissertation.com/]phd thesis[/url] writing a dissertation

    April 30, 2023 Reply
  19. HaaryVic

    Many thanks! Helpful information.
    [url=https://essaypromaster.com/]how to write a paper[/url] essay writers online [url=https://paperwritingservicecheap.com/]essay writer[/url] pay to write paper

    May 1, 2023 Reply
  20. HaaryVic

    Truly loads of fantastic info!
    [url=https://service-essay.com/]pay for papers[/url] pay for paper [url=https://custompaperwritingservices.com/]pay for college papers[/url] graduate paper writing service

    May 4, 2023 Reply
  21. HaaryVic

    Wow all kinds of terrific knowledge.
    [url=https://essaytyperhelp.com/]essay helper[/url] essay writing help [url=https://helptowriteanessay.com/]essay writing service[/url] medical school personal statement

    May 5, 2023 Reply
  22. HaaryVic

    Beneficial material. Thanks!
    [url=https://essaywritingservicehelp.com/]paper writing services for college students[/url] cheap essay writing service us [url=https://essaywritingservicebbc.com/]writing a descriptive essay[/url] personal statement writing service

    May 6, 2023 Reply
  23. HaaryVic

    You stated this exceptionally well!
    [url=https://bestpaperwritingservice.com/]buying papers for college[/url] paper writing service reviews [url=https://bestonlinepaperwritingservices.com/]custom paper[/url] paper writing service

    May 7, 2023 Reply
  24. HaaryVic

    You said it perfectly.!
    [url=https://essaywritingservicelinked.com/]wikipedia writing service[/url] legitimate essay writing service [url=https://essaywritingservicetop.com/]essay writing service reddit[/url] best essay writing service reddit

    May 9, 2023 Reply
  25. HaaryVic

    Incredible many of very good material.
    [url=https://essaywritingservicehelp.com/]essay writing service 3 hours[/url] writing service essay [url=https://essaywritingservicebbc.com/]professional essay writing[/url] reliable essay writing service

    May 10, 2023 Reply
  26. HaaryVic

    Truly loads of beneficial data.
    [url=https://quality-essays.com/]essay for sale[/url] buy an essay online [url=https://buyanessayscheaponline.com/]where to buy essays online[/url] buy essay papers

    May 11, 2023 Reply
  27. HaaryVic

    Thanks, A good amount of info.
    [url=https://topswritingservices.com/]letter writing service[/url] writing services [url=https://essaywriting4you.com/]essay writing practice[/url] cheap essay writing service uk

    May 12, 2023 Reply
  28. HaaryVic

    Nicely put. Regards.
    [url=https://quality-essays.com/]pay someone to write my college essay[/url] pay someone to write paper [url=https://buyanessayscheaponline.com/]buy essay online[/url] buy essay

    May 12, 2023 Reply
  29. HaaryVic

    Info nicely taken!!
    [url=https://phdthesisdissertation.com/]dissertation editing[/url] dissertation assistance [url=https://writeadissertation.com/]phd paper[/url] dissertation abstracts

    May 13, 2023 Reply
  30. HaaryVic

    Nicely put, Appreciate it!
    [url=https://writinganessaycollegeservice.com/]australian essay writing service[/url] academic essay writing service [url=https://essayservicehelp.com/]best resume writing service reddit[/url] paper writing service reddit

    May 14, 2023 Reply
  31. HaaryVic

    Factor well utilized..
    [url=https://ouressays.com/]research paper writer services[/url] cheap research paper writing service [url=https://researchpaperwriterservices.com/]writing proposal[/url] research paper helper

    May 15, 2023 Reply
  32. HaaryVic

    You expressed it terrifically.
    [url=https://englishessayhelp.com/]essay writer[/url] cheap essay help [url=https://essaywritinghelperonline.com/]argumentative essay[/url] the college essay guy

    May 16, 2023 Reply
  33. HaaryVic

    Thank you, I enjoy this!
    [url=https://essayssolution.com/]essay writers[/url] write my research paper for me [url=https://cheapessaywriteronlineservices.com/]write my thesis for me[/url] write a essay

    May 17, 2023 Reply
  34. HaaryVic

    Cheers, I appreciate this!
    [url=https://essaypromaster.com/]how to write an apa paper[/url] my paper writer [url=https://paperwritingservicecheap.com/]write my term paper[/url] write my paper for me

    May 18, 2023 Reply
  35. HaaryVic

    Wow many of great facts!
    [url=https://hireawriterforanessay.com/]write my essay for cheap[/url] write this essay for me [url=https://theessayswriters.com/]writing an opinion essay[/url] write my essay for cheap

    May 20, 2023 Reply
  36. HaaryVic

    Beneficial material. With thanks.
    [url=https://essaytyperhelp.com/]help with essay writing[/url] cheap essay help [url=https://helptowriteanessay.com/]free writing assistant[/url] essay helper online

    May 21, 2023 Reply
  37. HaaryVic

    With thanks. I enjoy it.
    [url=https://essayssolution.com/]write this essay for me[/url] write my resume for me [url=https://cheapessaywriteronlineservices.com/]writing essays[/url] essay writer free trial

    May 21, 2023 Reply
  38. HaaryVic

    Many thanks! Numerous postings.
    [url=https://writingpaperforme.com/]paper writing[/url] college papers for sale [url=https://custompaperwritersservices.com/]online essay writers[/url] paper writers for college

    May 22, 2023 Reply
  39. HaaryVic

    Really quite a lot of excellent info!
    [url=https://researchproposalforphd.com/]parts of a research proposal[/url] thesis proposal [url=https://writingresearchtermpaperservice.com/]research paper helper[/url] research paper writer services

    May 23, 2023 Reply
  40. HaaryVic

    This is nicely put. .
    [url=https://payforanessaysonline.com/]order essay[/url] buy essays cheap [url=https://buycheapessaysonline.com/]pay for paper[/url] buy essay

    May 24, 2023 Reply
  41. HaaryVic

    Cheers, Terrific information.
    [url=https://bestpaperwritingservice.com/]research paper writing service[/url] paper writing services [url=https://bestonlinepaperwritingservices.com/]custom paper[/url] college paper writing service

    May 25, 2023 Reply
  42. HaaryVic

    You actually expressed this well!
    [url=https://helpwithdissertationwriting.com/]writing dissertation[/url] dissertation paper [url=https://dissertationwritingtops.com/]dissertations[/url] what is a phd

    May 26, 2023 Reply
  43. HaaryVic

    You said it very well..
    [url=https://helpwithdissertationwriting.com/]dissertation help[/url] dissertation editing [url=https://dissertationwritingtops.com/]phd thesis[/url] proquest dissertations

    May 27, 2023 Reply
  44. HaaryVic

    Incredible a lot of amazing info.
    [url=https://essaywritingservicehelp.com/]cheap essay writing[/url] essay writing service usa [url=https://essaywritingservicebbc.com/]college admissions essay writing service[/url] custom dissertation writing service

    May 29, 2023 Reply
  45. HaaryVic

    Thanks! Useful information.
    [url=https://essaywritingservicehelp.com/]writing a college admission essay[/url] college essay writing service [url=https://essaywritingservicebbc.com/]college application essay writing service[/url] service essay

    May 30, 2023 Reply
  46. HaaryVic

    Cheers. Valuable information.
    [url=https://researchproposalforphd.com/]college term papers[/url] research proposal apa [url=https://writingresearchtermpaperservice.com/]cheap research paper writing service[/url] college term papers

    May 31, 2023 Reply
  47. … [Trackback]

    […] Find More Info here on that Topic: new.endcuttinggirls.org/2018/07/26/tweet-conference-script-the-extended-family-as-the-safety-net-for-protecting-girls-and-women-from-fgm-19-07-2018/ […]

    September 18, 2023 Reply

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.