Watch the full interview here.

Margaret Onah is the Executive Director at Safehaven Development Initiative, an NGO based in Nigeria. Safehaven provides support services to vulnerable women, girls, and communities, and it campaigns on issues relating to health and human rights.

During our recent monthly theme exploration of women’s rights, Margaret joined us to discuss the different types of female genital mutilation/circumcision (“FGM/C”) in Nigeria and how grassroots-led education is shifting community mindsets to eradicate FGM/C for good.

FGM AND ITS PREVALENCE IN NIGERIA 

FGM is the partial or total removal of female genitalia—the clitoris—for no medical reason or health benefit. In Nigeria, different types of FGM is carried out according to local culture and tradition of the particular community.

Many believe that it is done to please men and is supported by the myth that having a clitoris makes women promiscuous and will lead to unfaithfulness to the husband.

SAFEHAVEN’S APPROACH

Working with the community in a judgment-free manner, holding meetings to understand the culture of the community and their reasons for performing FGM, and holding educational workshops on human rights furthers the fight against FGM.  

Redefining the culture as an “alternative right of passage without the cuts” has meant that women and girls are being protected and maintaining their rights to sexual pleasure. Safehaven calls for more men to join the campaign to end FGM, as, ultimately, “FGM is a patriarchal thing”.               

Watch the full interview here to learn more.

Napassawan is currently a paralegal in London. She has an LLB from Swansea University and an LLM LPC from BPP University in Cambridge. She is interested in promoting human rights injustices and bringing them into the public domain, with a particular focus on children due to their vulnerable status.

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