A Tradition That Wounds Generations.

I never took Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) seriously until the day I watched the film Mogadishu. I cried as though I was the victim. The pain, the silence, the hidden trauma,suddenly, it became real.

Nigeria, my country, is part of Sub-Saharan Africa, which sadly has one of the highest populations of FGM victims. In Yoruba culture, FGM is called " Didabe tabi ila kiko”. It is justified as “circumcision,” done with the belief that it will prevent women from becoming “promiscuous.” In truth, it is carried out on both male and female children, but the female version leaves behind scars that go far beyond the body.

Oriki (Praise Chant)

Onídábè, a bí kó máa gé,

Alágogo irin tó ń gbé orúkọ ìdílé ga,

Ẹni tó fi abẹ́ gúnlẹ̀ pé ìwà rere ló ń dá,

Tó ń ṣe fún ire ìran, kó má bàjẹ́ lọ́la,

Tó ń gbà pé ọ̀nà yìí là ń kọ́ ọmọ lórí.

(The circumciser, born to cut,

Keeper of the iron blade who lifts the family’s name high,

The one who trusts the knife to build good character,

Doing it for the good of generations, so tomorrow will not spoil,

Believing this is the path to raise a child.)

I come from a family where FGM was not just practiced, it was an occupation. My relatives were known for performing circumcision in our Hometown. They carried out this act for steady payment, and their own daughters were not spared. For them, it was hereditary, passed down from one generation to the next. My own mother, being part of that family, could not escape it.

One day, after watching Mogadishu and Desert Flower, I spoke with my mother about the pain behind this practice. She admitted that even though many families have abandoned FGM due to Christianity, modernization, or awareness, others remain adamant. Some continue, blind to the truth. Some women die. Some live with life-long pain.

FGM is not just a “cultural tradition.” It is a deep wound physical, emotional, and generational.

That is why I value platforms like WorldPulse, which give women the courage to speak, share, and grow together. Change begins when silence is broken.

To every woman who has gone through FGM, I say: I see you. I feel your pain. And I stand with you.