Home » Covid-19 and genital mutilation: African girls now risk more

Covid-19 and genital mutilation: African girls now risk more

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If the coronavirus pandemic has brought all the states of the world to their knees, both in terms of health and economically, there are nations and continents for which the emergency has also meant a serious setback in the process of liberation from secular social wounds.

A recent UN report explains the extent to which the impact of the Covid-19 has managed to dangerously slow down the intervention projects in various regions of Africa to stem the social (and consequently health) drifts endemic among those peoples. The objectives in the foreground and which inevitably, due to the pandemic, will now be further away, they concern the family and in particular women, for which international humanitarian organizations have been working for years. Let’s talk about fight against gender-based violence which finds its culmination in the practice of infibulation, or the female genital mutilation (MGF); in prevention against the fatal outcome of pregnancies; and the hoped-for braking on weddings with child brides.

The UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) has speculated 2030 as the date for achieving the planned goals, but in the meantime highlights the obstacles that the Covid-19 has produced in these long months in Africa and the increased difficulties in implementing intervention projects on various fronts. Important steps forward, for example, had been made in recent years to stem the bloody custom of infibulation. It is estimated that around the world they are about 200 million women who have undergone this operation, considered one of the worst examples of human rights violations and often a prelude to child, early and forced marriage.

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International programs have always proven effective in the battle against this practice and, as highlighted in the UNFPA report, the growing urbanization, but above all it education development, had predicted the concrete possibility of having 46.5 million fewer cases between 2020 and 2050.
Now, the radical change in habits due to the pandemic is likely to compromise the “successes” achieved so far. The closure of schools it means less possibility of “control” over young women. It therefore means being able to protect them less. At the same time, the social distancing effectively blocks the application of prevention programs, always based on an “empowerment” work, that is to say growth of the individual and at the same time of the group.

Future Health, which is headed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, had predicted that the enhancement of the FGM prevention programs would have reduced the number of cases by about 5.3 million between 2020 and 2030. La COVID-19 pandemic it could negatively influence these estimates, also due to a health focus currently mandatorily oriented towards safeguarding public health rather than specific problems, in order to protect the entire community from the virus.
Assuming a delay of about 2 years in the development of projects intervention against female mutilation, it is possible that between 2020 and 2030 there will be 2 million cases of FGM that could have been avoided. A 33% reduction in progress to end this monstrous practice.

Even in the relationship of Amref Health Africa on the impact of the pandemic, particularly in the regions of Kajiado, Samburu e Marsabit, in Kenya, counties with a high prevalence of Mgf (Female Genital Mutilation) and Cefm (Early and Forced Marriages), it turns out how much the new rules imposed by the health emergency have influenced the delicate path of prevention. The investigation of theAfrican Medical and Research Foundation, carried out through questionnaires and interviews, involved men and women between 15 and 49 years, operators of prevention programs against FGM, policy makers and government officials.

“The three regions involved in the survey – he explains Paola Magni, Amref Contact for projects to combat female genital mutilation – were chosen for the high prevalence of MGF and Cefm. While the national average stands at 21% for mgf and 11% for Cefm, the 3 areas involved have very high indicators. Kajiado (Mgf 78%, Cefm 20%). Samburu Mgf 86%, Cefm 38%), Marsabit (Mgf 91.7, Cefm 80%). We have been present in all three areas for a long time and have consolidated relationships with communities and local authorities ”.

From the study it emerged that, at the basis of a new growth in cases of MGF, there is undoubtedly the closure of schools (in 50% of the answers) and the consequent stay at home. While economic losses and isolation were found (39%) to be the strongest drivers for the increase in cases of early and forced marriages during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There is evidence – he clarifies Paola Magni – which indicate an increased risk of women and girls being subjected to mutilation and early and forced marriage, especially among young girls who do not go to school and live in marginalized areas. The COVID19 contributed significantly to the increase in Mgf which tend to involve minors between the ages of 6 and 14. Despite the pandemic and the consequent limitations, we at Amref continue our activities which include awareness raising at the community level, dialogue with decision-makers at the community level, the empowerment of women and girls, the training of social and health workers, advocacy at local and national level “.

However, the data collected by Amref underline one inevitable fluctuation in the offer of assistance interventions with the arrival of the pandemic. Services provided for mgf cases included psychological and sexual counseling (52%), rescue (45%) and community reintegration (23%). During the emergency there was an increase in psychological and sexual counseling (69%), but a significant reduction in aid (18%) and reintegration into community services (7%).

Since we are talking about a drastic change in social habits, with the closure of schools and the forced “confinement” in their homes, one would think that, at this moment, they could be households to play a decisive role. They could take the place of public structures in creating a protection and protection net around their girls at risk.

“Yes, families have a fundamental role, as guardians of tradition – underlines the Amref contact person. – Families are in fact one of the most important awareness-raising targets so that they fully understand the physical and psychological consequences of these practices and the benefit that the elimination of these practices entails at a personal and community level, it is in fact demonstrated that emancipated women and girls play a fundamental role in reducing poverty and promoting development at all levels ”.

In conclusion. Taken the blow of the inevitable delays due to Covid in carrying out programs to prevent and combat primitive practices to the detriment of young African women and a barrier to their nefarious destinies, humanitarian organizations do not stop. And they look forward, to the immediate future, while managing the daily health emergency linked to the coronavirus.

“Amref, since the beginning of the epidemic in Africa, has been at the forefront with preparedness programs and response to COVID19 – explains Paola Magni -, working with all stakeholder levels at regional, national and local level. Amref is a member of the national task force for the response to the COVID-19 in Kenya and is also a member ofAfrica COVID-19 Response Committee of the African Union (AU) and African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and is working closely with African Health Ministers. We can say that we are always 100% active because Amref Health Africa supports governments and national institutes in organizing preventive measures; provides training to healthcare professionals on infection, prevention and control measures; disseminates educational material for communities; even has emergency evacuation programs through aviation (Amref Flying Doctors)”.

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